The Haunted One-Shots
by Lya200
Summary: If you like Rejectedshotgun's The Haunted, then this might interest you. This is a series of one-shots featuring our favorite characters and some theories of mine. I am open to other ideas if you want to tell me. :) Rated T to be safe, but there is probably going to be K chapters. Please submit one-shot ideas and you get a cookie from Grayson :D. total one-shots written: 11?
1. The Quest For the Egg

One-Shot 1: The Quest for the Egg

**_Hi there my peoples. If you clicked on this story and knew what The Haunted is, then the title seems kind of obvious on what this story is. If you don't, then please check it out. _**

**_Ok, if you are confused, then let me explain. This is a series of one-shots about The Haunted. This chapter: how everyone's favorite Grayson got the Dragon's Egg. _**

**_This may turn out to be wrong because SOMEONE (stares at the Admin Chickens) left Memories off with a cliff hanger. Still, please enjoy. Please note that you will notice lots of irony that is explained in other episodes of The Haunted…_**

**_I don't own The Haunted. The Admin Chickens do. And Notch owns Minecraft._**

It has been two years since I parted from Drake. I have to admit, I was a little hurt when he told me that he was leaving. I haven't seen him since. It was during this time that I migrated north to The Empire. There, I got a job as a mercenary.

This was not the only thing that has happened. I later discovered that Armen DID survive and is now spreading chaos throughout the Badlands. Hff. Like that is going to affect me. **_(LOLZ) _**I am now a mercenary in the community of the Emerald City.

My wife, Kathryn, smiled up at me as she dried the dishes. "Dear, can you please go pick up milk on your way home from work. We need some for Artie."

Artie is my one year old son. We named him for Armen, but Kathryn doesn't know his story. Too many painful memories, but it was important that I remember him.

It is not buying the milk I mind. It is the fact that we can only use it for one day. Before Drake and I came to this new world, I could just stick it in a fridge, and it will stay cold. In this world, however, no technology exists whatsoever. All the milk I buy can only last one day.

I reached over to my armor rack and carefully selected a plain iron sword. I don't dare to use my Hall of Heroes armor because The Empire might get greedy and steal it. Then they will overuse its powers and possibly destroy or take over other countries.

I hugged my wife. "See you when I get back, Kathryn. Love you." I turned to my son. "Love you kiddo."

Then I hear something unexpected. "D…d…Da…da…da. Dadda." Kathryn's eyes welled up in joy at Artie's first words. Grinning wildly, I embraced my family and walked outside.

Stepping outside, I wasn't surprised to hear, "Good morning, Grayson," or, "Hi there Mr. Gamecrown." **_(first idea for a last name I could come up with)_**

If you couldn't already tell, I am well respected in The Emerald City. **_(Now I have that song "One Short Day" in my head. One short day in the Emerald City. Off topic.)_**

Walking down _Yellow Brick Road_, **_(LOL)_** I pass the old forest of Heather. Normally I just ignore it, I see something in the distance behind all the vines. All thoughts of work set aside, I stumble through the overgrowth. Finally, I get to some sort of temple. Weird.

I was going to leave when it dawned on me. Maybe there is some treasure. I may or may not be interested in old artifacts. They are just so interesting.

But what should I do? Do I go inside in hopes of finding treasure, or do I leave because it is none of my business. Well, what would others do?

I know Kathryn would leave immediately. "Curiosity killed the cat," she would say and walk away without a second glance.

Then there is my good old neighbor Luke. I feel like I knew him from before I came here, but I can't put my finger on it. Still, I know he would go in immediately. Luke is always looking for money. While he says otherwise, I am sure that if it came to it, he would sell me out for a bag of gold.

One last name badgered me from the back of my mind. Drake? Why is he in my thoughts now? Still, he might help me with my problem. Will he go in, or will he stay out? I didn't even have to think about it. Of course he would. Something tells me that he would do anything to help Armen. If there was something he could use, then he would take it without regrets.

My answer is final. I am going in to see what is in there. Using my sword, I cut away the vines covering the entrance. It appeared to be some sort of stronghold. I know that there were several underground, but I've never heard of one accessible from above ground before. Shrugging, I step inside the maze that seemed to have no end.

One hour later

I still have yet to find something. I was about to give up and leave when I spotted a door. Curious, I walked in. The room appeared to be some sort of library. In the corner was some sort of chest.

Sparing no thought, I decided to open it. Inside, I found a few objects that greatly interested me. First, there were three marques. _Three marques!_ I was already somewhat wealthy, but this could make me beyond rich.

Next, there was an old map. Looking at it closely, it seemed that it showed the stronghold brick by brick. Maybe I can use this to find my way out.

The last thing was some sort of book. It was entitled _The Book for Mages_. I don't have a whole lot of time to read it, but I pocketed it anyway. "Keep looking," I told myself.

Using my new map, I followed some sort of path that was marked a deep blue compared to the gray. Left turn here. Another left. Right. Right. Down the ladder. Around the fountain. On and on I went until I arrived at an iron door. It was locked.

Using my pickaxe, I gathered some stuff to make a lever and opened the door. I was speechless when I saw it.

It was some sort of portal. Unlike other portals I went through, I actually recognized this from books. I think it is called The Ender Portal or something. "Think," I told myself, "What is in the End?"

Of course. Dragons. I know magic died out with the dragons, and I know dragons live in the End, or at least did. Maybe there is an egg. If I could hatch this, then maybe I can stop Herobrine.

So maybe it did matter with Armen. He was my friend, and this might help him. "Let's do this."

I leapt into the portal and felt some odd sensation. "Woah-o-o-o-o-o-ohhhh…uff." I landed on some sort of space rock. End stone. I turned to look at my surroundings.

There was nothing here. No wait a moment. There at the edge. The unmistakable skeleton form of a dragon. I also saw the towers that once held the dragon's horcruxes or whatever you call them. But the most interesting object stood on top of a podium of bedrock above the portal that leads out of here.

The Dragon Egg. At least I think it is. It does look like what I have seen in old textbooks. Should I take it?

Yes. I must take the Egg. I might be able to use it to help The Badlands. I stepped forward to grab the egg. "Stop. Stay where you are!"

I turned around in surprise towards the source of the commanding voice. Twenty soldiers or so were standing on the platform that I had arrived on. They must have followed me here. I shivered at the thought.

"I said freeze," the same commanding tone said boldly. I know they can see my face. Please don't recognize me.

Another voice. "Hey, it is Grayson Gamecrown. He works for my brother sometimes."

The first man said, "Ahh. Mr. Gamecrown. I know you know you aren't supposed to be here. I'm afraid you will have to come with us." He steps forward.

Why do I have to be so easily recognized? How am I supposed to get out of this? I glanced towards the portal. I guess I will have to take my chances.

Closing my eyes, I fell back into the portal. "There is no place like home. There is no place like home. There is no place like home," I whispered wildly. **_(Why do I always add movie quotes?)_**

The sensation stops. I cautiously open my eyes and recognize the temple. Yay not a random place. But I still need to get out of here. I dashed through the temple until I found my way out and fled all the way home. Kathryn looked at me curiously. "Grayson, are you all right?"

Should I lie and spare her worry. No. I can't do that to her. "I did not go to work today. Instead, I explored this temple. I know that it wasn't a good idea, but I did it because I knew an old friend of mine would. I found this portal and…and it led to the End. I stole this, and The Empire knows I have it now." I pulled out the Egg.

She stares at it. "Ok. I am assuming you forgot milk." I stare at her like she was crazy and she laughs. "Don't worry, I will help you get through this.

Later that night.

Smoke. That was what my nose could smell. My eyes flickered open in suspicion, and I gaped in horror. The room was on fire. I turned to wake up my wife and screamed. She was gone. I wasted no time to grab what I could. Food. Water. An iron sword. The stuff from the temple. Other artifacts. The egg. Money. Other maps. Everything I could reach. One quick peek in Artie's room showed he disappeared too.

Time to get out. I managed to escape just before the house collapsed. Now time to find Kathryn and Artie. I stumbled through the smoky air with my hand over my mouth until I got to the park. I can see clearly again. And I was horrified at what I saw.

My wife's hanging corpse's eyes were bulged out in fear and despair. Underneath her body was a bucket of water. Artie's body was meekly floating after they drowned him.

My sorrow was quickly replaced with anger, no, not anger. Fury. Fury towards the Empire for doing this. Where should I go?

I need to get out of here fast. Maybe to The Badlands. Yes. That will house me until I can extract my fury. Once it hits dawn I will go on south.

Wait. It will be better if I go now. Yes. Get out. I checked to make sure that I had my gear when I realized what I forgot. My Hall of Heroes Armor. I took a moment to take in the loss of this, then I walked on to get to my new sanctuary.

Some time later

I kicked my foot through the rubble of my old home. I know it was risky, but I had to go back. In their eyes, I am a criminal. I don't know why they want the Dragon's Egg, but I need to keep it from them.

I know that magic was slowly coming back. I have seen its effects on the environment.

Still, I need to focus on my main goal. Find the Magic Library. I read about it in the book from the temple. I am sure it will tell me how to hatch it. And I won't let anything distract me from finding it.

I was going to leave when something purple caught my eye. It was in the area where my armor once stood. It was some sort of broadsword. "It must have fused together."

I took the weapon. I can use this for my quest. Now I can continue on my quest for The Magic Library.

**_That was longer than I thought it would be. It is also so sad. Poor Grayson. So how did I do? Please tell me your thoughts. I am also open to other ideas for one-shots. It can be on anything from The Haunting/Haunted. I hope you enjoyed. Review and you will get a _**(gask mask)**_ a nice pm from me. Please review :) _**

**_~Lya200~_**


	2. Trick or Scream

One-Shot 2: Trick or Scream

**_(bursts out dressed all in green) Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. (letter falls from the sky.) Oh, um, I will be back. (leaves and returns dressed as Katniss Everdeen) Happy Halloween. As we all know, this is a SERIES of one-shots so I can keep this up for a long time. I have so many possible ideas. This is my Halloween idea because this is Haunted. Today I bring to you, Trick or Scream. This is basically going to be the cast of The Haunted taking a break from running, hiding, or hunting and are trick or treating. This is for fun, but obviously Herobrine has other ideas… Note: Please know that reading this chapter will possibly result in you losing your sanity, so I am not responsible for any damage. You have been warned..._**

Drake's POV

I paced back and forth in my bedroom while wearing a dragon hunter costume. Tonight I was trick or treating with my friends Grayson, Armen, and Luke. I know that we are a little too old but who cares. A loud crash came from downstairs.

A quick look revealed that Armen has arrived by breaking in. Mumbling, "I really need to fix that alarm system," I went down to check his costume out.

Armen was dressed as, wait for it, a turkey. So much for the Admin Chickens. Armen was surrounded by broken glass. I just had that window replaced from last Christmas. I seriously need to stop inviting him here. He smiles innocently and giggles. "Sorry about the mess." **_(if I had a dollar for every time I used a movie quote…)_**

I tried to look at him scoldingly, but I am laughing too. "Curse you Armen. How am I supposed to fix this window? The window guy said he won't come back after you threw water balloons at him. In the middle of January, too." He shrugs just as the doorbell rings.

Rolling my eyes, I went to answer the door. At least some people know what doorbells are. I am surprised by what appears to be Santa Claus. "How are you?"

Of course it is Grayson. Only he would dress as Santa for Halloween. **_(and me)_** "Where is Luke?"

He shrugs. "I think he is still getting ready. What do you think he is?"

I say, "I guess a jedi knight."

Armen stared at me. "He was that last year. I think he will be an assassin. He likes that game Assassin's Creed or whatever it's called."

"Wanna bet? I bet you $5.00 that he is going to be a jedi."

"You're on."

We shake on it as Grayson shakes his head at our childishness. Huh, like still stealing cookies from a cookie jar isn't. A loud knock shook the house. It spooked me. Grayson answered the door. "Luke the Empire Assassin is here."

Armen beamed. "Yay, I am five dollars richer."

I scowled at him. Sure enough, Luke was dressed in the armor of an assassin. "Hi Drake. Armen. Grayson. What's up with you?"

I was the only one who replied. "Nothing much, except Armen smashed my window, I am short $5, and I was half scared to death with that earthquake you caused as you knocked."

Luke froze. "I didn't knock. I rang the doorbell like always."

Armen paled, but regained his composure. "Probably nothing. Come on, let's go get some sweets."

We filed out the door behind him with our candy buckets eagerly. I really hope I get a bunch of Snicker bars because they are awesome. We walked around the corner until we got to the first house. It was some sort of mansion or something. It looked really worn down with vines and stuff covering the walls. Might be another decoration.

Grayson knocked. "Trick or treat." A man in blue opened the door. He had plain white eyes. "Good evening boys. Here. Take as much as you like." He thrust a bowl full of candy. "I don't get many people often."

We greedily filled our buckets with candy. The bowl seemed to not run out of candy. Kit Kats, Reese's, everything that we could imagine. Just as we were about to leave, it started to rain. Lightning illuminated the cloudy night sky. Thunder shook the earth harshly, causing us to fall backward.

The man turned towards us in concern. "Quickly, get inside. It is going to storm. I don't want anyone to catch a cold."

I agreed because I maybe absolutely despise water. I guess it is because of my enderman half. But that doesn't matter. I want to stay dry.

Without hesitation, we followed the man inside. The furnishings were rather simple. There was a HUGE kitchen-like room with a counter, two chairs, and a fridge. A set of stairs went up to another room that overlooks this room. A door next to the stairs led to what must be his bedroom while another I guess is part of his basement or something.

"Thanks, sir," Luke mumbled as he shuffled inside with his hands in his pockets. Don't ask me why his outfit has pockets because I don't really know.

He lead us to the chairs. "Okay, listen up. You guys can go anywhere in the house except for one place. The basement. If I catch you guys down there, then there will be serious consequences." The man then went through the door to the basement.

Grayson was the first to speak. "Well that was weird." We all nodded in agreement. Who was this guy?

I waited patiently for the storm to stop while the others talked. I was seriously getting bored. Finally, I spoke up. "You know, we can always play hide and seek. I mean, look at this place."

Grayson shook his head. "But that's the thing. I don't know about you, but I don't trust this guy. Something seems fishy about him."

"Party pooper," Luke glared.

I got an idea. "Hey guys, we can play if we are quiet. Last person left hiding wins," I hold up a plastic baggy of Tootsie Rolls, "One bag of candy."

Luke and Armen seemed convinced but Grayson still seemed unsure. I thought fast. "Or, some nice chocolate chip cookies at my place." His eyes lit up. I hit one of his childish spots.

"You mean it?"

"Yep."

His eyes widen in delight, then he spoke really fast. "Yay-I-will-count-first- so-don't-worry-about-it-I-want-to-count-first-one-two-three-four…"

"HIDE!" screamed Armen as he dashed towards the bedrooms. I climbed the stairs in hopes of evading Grayson's gaze. Just as I was about to duck down under the rail, however, I saw Luke edging towards the basement. "Dude, we can't go down there," I tried to warn him, but he continued to ignore me and continued through the door, but was that regret in his eyes?

"LUKE, NO!" Armen yelled out in desperation, but it was too late. Luke was already through door.

"98-99-and-100-come-out-come-out." Grayson said eagerly. Did he seriously not hear what just happened with the door? What is my friend, deaf?

Footsteps interrupted my thoughts. And they were loud. I froze. Did he find me? Wait a moment. They are coming from my left, but no one is here. That is when I heard the scream. Luke. "We need to get out of here, right now."

Idiot. Now Grayson can find me. But I don't care. All sense of safety I gained by going in here is gone. Grayson dashed out of the bedroom he was searching with Armen on his tail. "You owe me a cookie."

I slapped him. "Not now. We need to get out of here now." Slowly, maturity returned in his eyes.

"You're right. But first we need to find Luke. If that was his scream, and we have no reason to doubt that it was, then something bad has happened. NOTHING scares him like that. Does anyone know where he went?"

I nodded. "The basement. He wanted a good place to hide, so he went inside. He ignored me, though. But…I think something else was controlling him. In his eyes, all I could see was regret and possibly fear. Something terrible has happened to him, so if we want to rescue him, then we need to act now. Otherwise, we need to leave this place."

Grayson replied immediately to this. "No. He is our friend. If he is in trouble, then we need to help him."

Armen looked at him oddly. "Maybe we shouldn't. It is probably too late for him anyway. I agree with Drake. I don't trust this guy. What is the point in doing something impossible? Maybe it's best if…"

Grayson glared at us. "What is the point? I am going down there to help him whether you want to help me or not."

My friend stomped towards the door to the basement. "Wait," I glanced at Armen, "We are coming with you."

Relief flooded into his face. He was clearly not ready to go down alone. "Really? You will?"

"Of course. You are my friend. And so is Luke. And Armen. "

Grayson then reached his hand for the door. "Shall we then?"

Armen and I nodded in unison. "Okay, we are coming down now." One by one, we filed into a…cave of dirt.

"No, no, no. This cannot be it. Look around for secret trapdoors or something," Grayson ordered.

We then started looking through the dirt. About ten minutes later, Armen called out, "Hey guys. Over here," he pointed at a hole, "Check this out."

Grayson's expression grew worried. "What do you think that leads to?"

I stared at it. "I don't know, but I don't want to find out. But we have to. For Luke."

Grayson smiled grimly. "For Luke."

We then both looked towards Armen who remained silent. He raised his arms in defeat. "Fine. For Luke."

Silently, we climbed one by one into the hole and ended up in some sort of tunnel. Grayson pointed forward. "Onward, my friends." He marched quickly to the point where Armen and I couldn't keep up. Finally, it got to a point to where we couldn't see him anymore. Then I heard his dreadful call for help. The bloodcurdling scream raised goosebumps on the backside of my neck. Suddenly, I knew we couldn't help him. I reached for Armen's arm.

"It is too late. We need to get out of here. Right now."

Then Armen said something odd. "No, Drake. You can never escape him. He will always be there. It is too late for you to escape. It is the only way. He will get you one way or another." The man appeared, only now his white eyes were glowing. He merged with my friend. Armen raised his diamond sword. Was that fear and regret in his once blue-green eyes? "Goodbye, Drake."

**_What in the world did I just write? Everyone dies except for Armen because Herobrine merged with him after killing Luke and Grayson. Sorry for causing you to lose your sanity. Trust me, I normally do better. Hope you kinda enjoyed. Also, do you like my cover. I drew it myself without any apps and I want to know if it is any good. Thanks. Read and review. :) Also check out my other stories. Happy Valentine's Day._**

**_~Lya200~_**


	3. What We Could Be

One-Shot 3: What We Could Be

**_Hi there. I am back with a third one-shot. Hopefully this will not go crazy. Today's one-shot is going to be about that assassin. It will hopefully include a little bit of backstory based off of a theory I came up with while rewatching the series for the 50,227_****_th_****_ time. Now you may be wondering, what is this theory? Let me answer that. YOU HAVE TO READ TO FIND OUT!_**

Assassin's POV

When I came to this world, I could remember my past life. I was just a lonely man in the Arctic. Working at the Arctic Base alone. Well, I wasn't alone. There were three others. Jacob. Collin. Grayson. My old friend Grayson.

I remember falling into the portal. No, I didn't fall. I was pushed. Collin had convinced me to come with him to the old ruins. We came across this portal. Then, he pushed me into its depths.

I remember falling for a long time. I appeared in an old temple. I heard screams. Blood soaked the grass in the land I came to. There he was. Collin. But he wasn't Collin, I later learned. Not anymore. He gained a new name, disregarding his old. Herobrine.

I remember fleeing far north along a road that ran through several kingdoms until I came to a civilization that lay untouched by his power. They called it The Empire. I quickly rose through ranks, always looking for money. Marques, sovereign, florin, rubies, all of it.

I remember four years ago when he came. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw Grayson alive and well in my world. He has shed the large coat he used to wear along with that helmet and musket. Instead, he wore armor that seemed to glow in power. Oh how I wanted that armor. Well, I had also wanted to remind him of who I was, but I couldn't. He would never believe me. Frankly, I don't believe myself at times.

I remember the hanging of his wife and drowning of his son. Later on, I learned the truth. He has stolen the Last Dragon Egg from a nearby temple. The Empire wanted it back. I had managed to protect my home from the flames as his burnt down, leaving nothing unscathed.

I remember taking the job of hunting him down. My instructions were simple: find the egg, kidnap Grayson, and kill all of his accomplices.

It was a long time before I could find any clues to his whereabouts. Finally, I heard some yells from the Red Keep. The new terror, Armenbrine, was attacking the village of paganum. It was burning. There he was. Grayson with a half-enderman, half-human figure and a little slime. I was too late to intercept him and his friend, but I knew I was on the right track.

I tried to attack them in that old railway under the Keep, but I was chased by this young man with one white eye before I could get close. Why was he helping these people? I heard that he was the one destroying villages in the Badlands. The only thing odd was that his not white eye was glowing in some way.

I had tried again after they escaped the tunnels and had just crossed the river. Using my bow, I shot the half-enderman in the leg. Because he was injured, I thought that he couldn't fight back. I used my sword, but Grayson fought back with his sword. I needed to knock him unconscious, but before I could do so, the man with one white eye used some sort of earthquake to save them. To add to my shame of not having a quick and easy kill, the injured man used telekinesis to push me far away.

I then tracked them to an old house in the nearby woods, but I was too smart to try and attack them again. At least not yet. Resting in the nearby weapons repair, I allowed myself to reflect.

Sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if I had refused to follow Collin into the ruins outside my home. I might have been able to have saved Jacob from being killed in the oil rig, which I learned later on in a very vivid dream. Grayson and I might still be friends, and I wouldn't have this job of killing him. Sometimes, I wish I could have a normal life again.

But I can't. Now, people call me an assassin. They refer to me not with my name, but with something generic. They take me for granted, not thinking about what would happen without my services. To them, I was not Luke the man who helps them. I was no one.

All of this angers me. Maybe I can let Grayson know about who I am. Maybe then he can forgive me and let me be his ally of some sorts.

I lost him as a friend though the moment I stepped into this new world. No, not a new world. The future of my past home. Sometimes I wonder if the temple that I had come from was the same from the ruins only further underground. Maybe the land covered it in dirt and soil to hide it. All I can ever wonder.

All my thoughts were interrupted by the screams of Grayson coming from the other house. Distinctly, I could hear, "Why is, why is your white eye glowing?"

And I knew that something was happening. Collin wasn't just controlling the new terror of the badlands. He was taking over the body of the mage as well. And for the first time since I came to these lands, I was terrified.

**_Well that was short. I had anticipated that this would be longer. Oh well. Well now you know my theory. If you don't, then let me elaborate. When I was rewatching the Hauntings parts 1 and 2, I noticed the name above one of the doors. Luke. The reason I was rewatching was because I felt that clues from this could answer my questions after seeing Memories. Seeing that name reminded me of the assassin played by xRainMaker442x. That is when I made the connection._**

**_When I first saw the Haunting 3, I though that it was just an easter egg. Now I think it was a spoiler to what was coming. Now I think the Luke from the Arctic Base and the Empire Assassin is one and the same person._**

**_So, what do you guys think? See my poll I have on my profile to answer me. Remember to look at my other stories :D._**

**_~Lya200~_**


	4. The Fight For Control

One-Shot 4: The Fight For Control

**_Hey, I am here after 5,399,118 years with the newest one-shot. Sorry it took a while, but I am here now. So that means…EPISODE SIX IS FINALLY HERE! It is called Sunken Treasure. If you have not seen it yet, I highly recommend watching it BEFORE reading. Trust me, you will be a little confused. Warning: 3 jump-scares. Meanwhile, it gave me more stuff to type. Not too much though except I can fix a scene. Just for the record, I had the idea that the headaches were Armen or someone trying to talk to him. This video further proved it with the jump-scares. So get off this page and watch. Then you can come back. If you have seen it, then go ahead and continue reading. Also, check out Armen's new video Armen's Reveal. I included a tiny segment about that. Well, not so tiny since typing it brought my word count up a thousand words. Actually, this is my longest chapter that I have EVER written. YAY!_**

**_(authority like voice) I have made my decision. I am going to do a one-shot for each of the characters, then I will start taking suggestions. I have already done Grayson and Luke. This is going to be Armen's, and I will do Drake next. After that, I will take suggestions :). If I already had plans to do that in the coming future, then I would post that one as soon as I can._**

**_Meanwhile, let me tell you about today's one-shot, The Fight For Control. If you seriously need a description, then you must be really confused. In case if you are one of those who are confused, then let me explain. This is primarily about Armen all the way through Memories, possibly even episode 6 if it is posted before I finish the chapter. In case if you are still confused, then basically it is about Armen fighting off Herobrine. It will also include spoilers for Drake's one-shot. _**

**_Read, my friends, read. You might not be reading this long author's note, but if you are, please mention the word 'fantabulous.' Please note that there might be language depending on where you live, so sorry if it offends you. At least I held off using something else because it doesn't seem right to me, but I replaced it with something else in order to not offend anyone. Actually, it kinda makes sense considering the end of the Haunting 3. So sorry. Enough of my rambling, just read already._**

Armen's POV

Darkness. That is all I could see for two years. Ever since he joined me in my body to save himself, I couldn't control my body. I could no longer wiggle my fingers or move my toes. I can't choose when I want my body to rest, though I can rest my mind. I can't even choose to blink. All I knew was what He felt. Often, He was thinking about destruction. Terror towards others after he was finished bringing suffering to me. I tried to fight Him off, but I can't. I have no power against Him. It was hopeless.

Then there was a light. It grew brighter and brighter. I could finally see what was happening, however vaguely. But what I was seeing was the most confusing thing I have ever seen.

Drake was facing Herobrine with some sort of book in his hands. He was waving his hands at Him while chanting, "Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava."

Slowly, the more he said this, the better I could see. What was my friend doing? Vaguely, I could make out some sort of dark mist being sucked from my body. **"You dare try to destroy ****_me?_**"

My former friend glares at him defiantly. "Well, yes, but my main goal is to help Armen. I know that he is still in there somewhere, Herobrine. I will succeed in freeing him, and you won't have a body anymore. Thus, you will be destroyed. "

Suddenly, Drake cried out in pain. The mist sped towards him, and it entered through his left eye. The eye started to glow white, then it faded. I could see now, though, that it will forever be like mine. My eye. I saw my reflection in the water. My right eye was no longer white. It was my original cyan color, though not as bright. I breathed a gentle sigh of relief.

Drake staggered away, clutching at his left eye that continued to shine white, blinding him. He wanted to follow and destroy him, but I refused to move. Somehow, my refusal to follow through with His plans seemed to prevent Him from going after Drake. I mastered enough strength to call out after him, "Don't worry, Drake. I will try my hardest to fight Him."

Anger. He was furious at what happened. He was furious that he couldn't kill Drake. He was furious that he lost part of Himself to him. That contrasted to my relief that I could finally understand what was going on. Sorta. I can see and hear what is going on, but I have very little control. "Well, at least you are better off than when this started."

** "You know I can hear you, brother. I wouldn't be thinking like this if I were you considering I control your body now. Why, I can just burn the both of us if I wanted to."** Collin.

I suppose the best idea is to taunt the one I once called my brother. "Oh yeah. Well guess what. You wouldn't do that because you are a huge coward. I know that you only merged with me to save yourself. Well, guess what. I will find a way to completely get rid of you with Drake's help. I know that is what he did. He partially took you out of me. Now I have partial control. I can think again, and you can hear me. I will fight you. I am strong. I am not afraid, _Collin_."

He just laughed.** "Aw, the little kid who tried to kill me thinks he can kick me out of the body I now control. Well guess what kid. I am not going anywhere. Soon, I will be able to control that so-called friend of yours who let you jump into lava. What he just did actually aided me. Now I can control both you AND your friend. See, the part of me that left you has now entered your horrid friend. Soon, I might find a way to control that other guy. What was his name? Grayson. As for your friend, Drake, he will soon be mine. Yes. I will find a way to destroy them both." **

"NOOOOOOOO!" In rage, I thought over and over, "YOU CAN'T TOUCH THEM. I SACRIFICED MYSELF FOR THEM. BECAUSE OF ME, THEY ARE UNTOUCHABLE! AND I WILL NEVER STOP TRYING TO FIGHT YOU! I…I…I HATE YOU!"

Suddenly, I felt a feeling that I thought was long since lost. Freedom. But it wasn't the full form. I knew He was still there, wanting control, trying to find a way to get it back. I made the most of this newly found freedom and crudely used a stick to carve, "You can't break me," in the ground.

At that moment I felt horrendous pain. He was back in control. And He was greatly angered but slightly confused that I managed to evade his control. **"You fool. What have you done?"**

If I could, I would have smirked. "Simple. I regained control, and I will do it again when I'm stronger. Some day, I will gain full control of my body, and you can't stop me."

In reply, he snarled. **"Of course you will… not. You were always weak. I will stop you each time you try, Armen. The older brother is always stronger than the younger brother, and you are barely eighteen. What can you do?"**

I could not answer because for the most part, He was probably right.

A short time later

It was harder to regain control than I thought. Herobrine is unfortunately much stronger than me and more experienced with taking over people's minds than me. Still, I try every chance I get in hopes of saving someone. The thing is, I am always too late, so the body count grows more and more. I can't bear to be the one who is ending all of these people's lives. I really wanted to help these people, but He was the one who was using my body to terrorize these people.

Every time I try to reclaim my body, though, He is ready. Still, I now know what He is doing because I can see what is happening. I now know what He is doing, when He is doing it, and where it is happening.

I didn't realize I had a small amount of control over His actions even if he is in control at first. Now I know better. Whenever I sense Him trying to find Drake and Grayson and destroy them, I do my best to distract Him by showing Him a different thought such as another village that lay untouched. As much as it pained me to think about, I think I know His reason for going after my friends. I can't guarantee that because he has learned to hide his thoughts, something that I have yet to master. If I'm correct, then I need to protect them both at all costs.

I woke up from my 'sleep' to the sounds of burning. He was attacking another town. Normally, this won't anger me enough to make me want to fight back, but I saw someone trying to escape Him. Drake. Why is he here? What is even worse, Herobrine was moving towards my friend. No. I will not let Him take my friend. I need to show Drake that I am still here in my body. "No. You won't take him while I'm in control. I won't let you!"

In fury, I traveled forward in my mind until I was back in control. But I was too late to save the village. Still Drake witnessed what happened. He knows now that I still can maintain a limited amount of control. I promise you, Drake, I will try to protect you as long as I can.

He heard my thoughts. **"You can't stop my conquest forever, Armen. I will proceed in killing those rather persistent friends. I will have the upper hand."**

I had nothing to say to that. Grimacing in pain, I looked away from the vanishing man's figure as he escaped His wrath. He gathered more strength and quickly shot down my efforts of keeping control. At least I kept Drake safe.

More time later

Never has He tried to contact me with no cause. Not until now. **"Hello there foolish mortal."**

"Go away, Collin. Why are you still talking to me anyway?"

He laughed**. "Still an inquisitive mind. Unfortunately for you, I will not answer. At least not fully. Sometimes, I fell the need to share with some why I am doing things."**

I remained silent, allowing Him to continue. **"Of course, it doesn't matter if you know or not. If you won't talk, then maybe I should…"**

"Go ahead. Just tell me what was so important that you woke me up from my nap."

**"Now, now. Where are your manners?"**

Huh. Let me get this straight. So the guy whose favorite past time is to spread chaos across the land is worried about my 'lack' of _manners_? "Fine. _Please._"

**"See. Was that so hard?"**

I just said nothing. **"Okay, kid. I will tell you what I wanted to say. That friend of yours, not that silly half-enderman, the other guy. The blonde one. I have just been informed by some of my inside men on the job, and I discovered some news I thought you might be interested to hear."**

"Well? What is the news, Collin."

** "Your friend is actually rather close to this mountain. He is currently looking for shelter. He has just left his home up north in the Empire. Clearly, life isn't going so well for him up there. Maybe, once he finds some place to stay, we could give him a special welcoming gift to make sure he won't be sad ever again. How does that sound?"**

"No. What has he done to you?"

More laughter.** "Let's see. Caused me to be kicked out of my old home after I left. Be part of that special prophecy you seem determined to fulfill. Time after time escape my wrath. Exist. Really, this list can go on for ages. It is about time I exact my revenge."**

I felt a lurching sensation as my body was forced to fly from the mountain towards an old Ironmyrean castle where Grayson must be seeking for shelter. Without my consent, my hand reached for His fire staff, ready to fire and burn my friend alive. I aimed. No. I can't kill my friend. Using my remaining strength, I fought back against Him. It was an inner battle for control. All it took was a few moments.

Finally I was able to drag ourselves back to the mountain and light a fire for warmth. He was furious but unsurprised, shown by the way how He took back my body but didn't go back. **"So you don't want to play,"** he mocked me, **"Well, I can wait. We can play later. Soon, you won't be able to protect those dreaded 'friends' of yours any longer."**

"Rot."

He just chuckled.

Even more time later

After I had prevented Him from attacking Grayson, He has kept a rather close eye on my thoughts, clearly wanting no more intervention from me. It sucks that I can't block him like he can to me. At least I am protecting my friends. I smile softly to myself at the thought. I can actually do it. I may not have full control, but it is better than no control over Him at all.

All I want to do is anything but attack anyone. Unfortunately, He has other ideas. Right now, He is preparing to attack Fortuna which was nearby.

I kind of felt like a puppet as he guided my helpless body towards the small town of Mortem.

I don't like this. I really don't like this. My gut feeling is telling me to fight back, but I don't know why. Something important could be here. Maybe I should stall and play with Herobrine's mind which is currently distracted by the prospect of bloodshed. "Hey loser. Yeah, you. Why do you want to attack Fortuna right now. It sounds more like something that is better done on Thursdays, right?" It sounded childish, and I could tell He agreed.

If I could see Him, I knew He was rolling His eyes at my intrusion on His plans. **"Silly mortal. I know what you are trying to do. Well you won't achieve it. I am going to attack Fortuna right now, and you won't stop me."**

"Please don't kill them. They are innocent. Just punish me."

**"I think not. Why don't you stay quiet and let me attack?"**

"Never."

In rage, I tried desperately to win the fight for control, but I was no match for Him, and He quickly won the battle.

He then proceeded to destroy Fortuna with me helplessly being his puppet. I tried to fight back, but I couldn't. That is when I had the idea. I need to preserve the strength to do this plan to help him.

Acting as His puppet, my body was the cause of deaths of the townspeople. Men, women, and children failed to escape His slaughter. He then whispered to me in eager delight, pleased with his work. **"See, this is what happens when you defy me. Now this pathetic little town has paid the price for your actions towards me."**

No specific time

I grimaced as He destroyed another village. I had considered trying to find a way to reclaim my body, but I knew that I needed to preserve my energy if I wanted to aid Drake.

To distract myself, I tried to look back at some old memories. Looking back is probably one of the only things that keeps me from going completely insane. Blocking out the terrified screams of the dying villagers, I focused on one of the few good memories that I remember from before this all began. It was a quiet fishing trip with Drake about two months before it all started. Smiling lightly, I remember what happened that day…

_ Drake cast out the fishing line across the water while I watched eagerly. We had only the one fishing rod, so we had to take turns. He felt a tug at the end. "Look out Armen. This one looks like it will be a big one."_

_ I ducked as a huge splash caused water to fly over our heads. Eyes closed, I heard a similar splashing sound. Opening my eyes slowly, I saw Drake soaked in water. Evidently, that fish did not want to be eaten. _

_ I tried to stifle my laughs as he spluttered, but it was seriously impossible. The same went for my friend. Soon, we were both laughing so hard even though Drake hates water. I turned to him still shaking with laughter. "Do you want a towel?"_

_ Grinning even though he showed obvious discomfort do to the fact he was shivering, he nods._

_ I thought about just passing it to him, but I decided on a 'better' idea. "Well then you will have to catch me then." I sped off, waving the towel like it was a flag. Drake ran after me, cursing at me under his breath as he attempted to seize the towel._

_ "Come back here, Armen. Give me that towel!" He tried his best to sound sincere, but he was still shaking with laughter. Oh what fun we were having._

_ "Alright," I slowed down, allowing him to catch up. "You will have to catch it then."_

_ We both watched intently as it soared over our heads and into the lake. I was shocked at how little power it took to throw it that far. "Oops."_

_ Glaring playfully at me, Drake waded into the water to retrieve the towel. I followed him to the beach to help him out. Then suddenly, he reached out and dragged me into the water after him. _

_ Giggling, I splashed him in the face. He returned the gesture only larger. Soon, we were both soaked._

_ Eventually, we dragged ourselves out of the water, ready to continue trying to catch something. "We probably scared all the fish away," I said thoughtfully._

_ Drake only shrugged then tossed the line into the calming water anyway. Of course nothing came. Sneakily, I shoved him back into the water. This was awesome._

_ When we finally decided to go home, people were staring at us like we were crazy, and we probably were. But for the first time, I was actually content with my life._

I laughed at the memory. It was on that day that I felt like how I did before…before…before…

I tried to find something else before I get into painful memories. Choking as I quieted the sob that almost escaped from my mouth, I found one than made me grin wildly. At the time, I didn't remember who he was, but later I learned. I cherished that day just as much as I did the ones involving Drake. The day Grayson taught me how to fight and no longer be that scared little kid I was when I fell into the void…

_ Grayson and I walked into one of the Three Biomes silently. Cautiously, I followed him because he was the one who held a weapon. The reason I gave him my diamond sword was because he clearly was the better fighter. Back in Ruby Shire, he actually would beat up bullies if he catches them in the act of torturing a smaller kid. "Like me," I muttered under my breath. I was a particular choice of victim, especially after I started hanging out with Drake. _

_ Grayson turns around, his blonde hair dotted with snowflakes. "You know what? I am going to show you how to fight. It seems like it will be a good idea. I won't be around forever."_

_ I shake my head yes without hesitation. I was tired of being a helpless little boy who jumps at the slightest sound. When I was with Drake, I was fine; in fact, I would be the one who fought all the monsters, but he is not here with me now. It was time that I seriously handle problems with my own hands. "Okay Grayson. When do we begin?"_

_ He beamed at me, and the answer he gave me caught me off guard. "Right now actually. Come on." He sprinted through the snow to a flat area with me rushing after him. An idea forms in my head, and I scoop up a handful of snow. Might as well have some fun. _

_ "Hey!" he hollered as the snowball hit him in the chest. I snickered in response._

_ Rolling his eyes while trying to conceal his laughter, he passed me an iron sword and pointed his finger towards a lone zombie. "We start with holding the blade the right way." He adjusted my grip on the sword. "Next, we need to focus on maintaining eye contact. It can't hurt you if you pay attention to its every moves."_

_ I glanced at him and broke down. I couldn't do it. "Do I have to?" I stuttered pleadingly._

_ He averted his eyes towards his feet. "I am not forcing you to do anything you don't want to do, but this is the easiest way to learn. Unless if you fight me." He brandished the diamond sword which glinted in the moonlight. "Clearly, neither of us want that."_

_ I gasped subtly, seeing his point. It was never a good idea to take on the one who teaches you, and I have seen Grayson fight. And he is really good. Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards the moaning undead creature of the night. _

_ I reluctantly made a weak jab at its chest. It responded with a slash at my hand. Cringing at the abrupt pain, I paused. Grayson yelled at me to keep going. "Fight back. Don't stop trying. You must get rid of your cowardice. It is the only way. I believe you can do it." _

_ I glared at the undead monster, fury flowing through my veins. Grayson was right. It was time for me to cease being a coward. It was time for me to be the hero. _

_ In rage, I charged without delay towards the mob that was stumbling to me with its arms outstretched. _

_Hit after hit fell upon its body. Finally, its corpse crumbled beneath my feet. Panting slightly, I realized that I have accomplished what I have always desired to be. I was no longer the distressed youngster who recoils at all sudden movement. I have finally grown up._

_ Grayson beams at me proudly. "I knew you could do it. Come on. Let's get something to eat." He passed me the diamond sword saying that I had earned it, and we marched back to the Jungle Cabin._

My eyes welled up with tears of joy at this. Without my training, who knows where we would be. It was shortly after this that Grayson disappeared, and I remained alone until Drake arrived.

I wonder what would have happened if I never actually learned how to fight. Would I have sacrificed myself, or would we all be dead? I may never know, but I knew that I was now strong emotionally and physically.

He was done with His assault on the suburb. Sneering boldly in astonishment, He commented, **"Wow. That is a first. You didn't fight back. Have you** **finally accepted that I will forever oversee your body?"**

I replied the negative. "No, I have just been tired. Gosh, don't just assume something is true with no evidence to back it up."

**"Or maybe you knew that you were no match for my power," **He taunted mockingly.

I tried to take control to show him that I won't give up, and for one tiny moment I held onto control. I could make out what he was doing. Burning a library, smoke filling the air. My body froze, ceasing to cause more destruction. For a moment, it was just standing still, breathing slowly as I took in my surroundings. Then He took back my body.

All I could hear after that was heavy chortling belonging to Him. All that alleviation from the good memories gone, I gloomily allowed myself to fall back into my dark and restless slumber.

More time later

I stirred feebly from my sleep as I felt His breath willing me to awaken so He can talk to me. Me. Of all people. Why was He doing this to me? He noticed I was awake, and his face took on the look of pure evil. **"So you are now awake? Perfect. Since you can listen, I want to tell you something. Some news that you might find intriguing. Are you ready to be attentive?"**

I winced. "Looks like I have no choice, do I?"

He shook His head. **"I'm afraid not, brother. As of now, both of your unpleasant friends have something in their possessions that I must get ahold of in order to gain full power. Can you guess what each item is?"**

"Do I get any hints, Collin?"

He shrugged deviously, so I had to think for a tiny moment. "I am sure that at least one item is very important, or else you would keep quiet, so I will have to go with one of the three diamonds."

He was shocked that I could answer Him so quickly, perhaps even at all. **"You are more intelligent than I thought, but can you guess the other, the one that the blonde has."** He froze. **"I did not mean to say that."**

I laughed. "Well you did. So Drake has the diamond? Excellent. Maybe he can force you to get out of my body. As for Grayson's mysterious object, do I get any hints?"

Still embarrassed that He revealed a crucial point, He thought for a moment. **"Alright. It is part of something thought long died out and is solely responsible for something else returning that too disappeared, thought to be gone forever."**

He couldn't be more cryptic. Okay, maybe he could, but that was not the point. Long died out but has returned? How am I supposed to know that? I haven't lived here that long. Everything that I thought I knew was gone. **"Think hard. Once, I had it in my possession, but it gone back to where it came from when you battled me in my home."**

Now I remember the egg he had dropped. "The Dragon Egg? I don't know, but I do know that you dropped that when we defeated you the first time around."

**"You are rather smart for a mortal. Too bad that can't help you escape me."**

He was really arrogant. He could have stayed quiet, and I wouldn't have suspected anything. Instead, he boasted that he had news and tried to keep me guessing. His plan, I guess, was to keep me anxious for news. Well He underestimated me, and I ended up getting the right answer both times.

He said nothing more to me, leaving the new information time to sink in.

Drake and Grayson, even though you probably can't hear me, protect the diamond and egg at all costs. Please.

Even more time later until the point that Reunion takes place

I was finally ready to try this little idea that was forming in the back of my mind for several months, maybe even a year. Mainly because I have nothing else to do. It was very risky because He was constantly watching my thoughts, so the only time I could plan was while he was destroying a village of some sort.

I waited for the moment where He would least suspect it to make my move, then I struck. I channeled my mind through His until I found what I was looking for. The link to Drake's mind. It was rather small. Thank goodness. I closed my eyes and opened it.

How am I going to say it? He won't be ignorant forever. But I need to warn him. Or else He would kill him, and there would be no one who can stop Him. That is when I appeared in some sort of landscape. It kind of reminds me of mountains made of cobblestone. "Where am I?" I asked myself.

It looks like I am in front of a temple, probably built for the Goddess or something. "It must be his dream."

I walked silently around the edge until I found my friend looking out in the distance. Drake started speaking about how this must be a dream. He turned and saw me. "Wait a moment. I remember creating you. You are not a figment of my imagination, are you?" What was he talking about?

Before I could say anything, I felt myself being pulled back into my body. He started to scold me. **"Tsk tsk, brother. You should already know that your attempts at freedom are futile. You will never be free. You are forever mine to control. Nothing you do can stop me." **His tone was nasty, but it did not discourage me. If anything, it actually persuaded me to try further.

Journey to the Red Keep

He seemed to take my idea. Twice in a row, He tried to take Drake's mind, causing all of us serious headaches. Grayson is lucky. He doesn't have to share a mind with Him. By the second time, I had it. I blurted out unexpectedly, "I crashed." I was done being His slave. Only Drake and of course Herobrine heard me.

I wish that there was a way to contact Grayson, though. I guess it is good that he doesn't have to suffer sharing a mind with Him, but I still need to warn him about the egg.

I looked into Drake's mind and suddenly got an idea. For the first time, I tried to use telepathy. One of His powers that I inherited. For once I was glad that Collin was my brother. I sighed sadly at the thought that I can't consider him to be my brother anymore because of what happened several years ago. I knew immediately what I had to tell Grayson. "Be careful about the egg. He wants it, and He will try to kill you. I'm sorry." He froze, so I know he heard me and understood what I had told him. Grayson's face took that of one in fear.

I couldn't say anything more to either of my friends because He pulled me back.

Travel to Witnesses

I knew that He was preparing for destruction. He was awfully quiet. Too quiet. He is planning something, something He doesn't want me to prevent.

I want to say that it doesn't matter to me. But that is not true. I was scared that I could possibly harm either of my friends. It was close to evening when He brought me to a destination.

Oh no. The Red Keep. From what I could learn from my attempts to warn Drake, I knew that was where he and Grayson were heading to. This was not good. "Maybe they were detained," I thought to myself hopefully. In my heart, I knew that this was not the case.

He watched them first from their current shelter, just from the corner, then He stalked them from a broken bridge as they prepared for the last parts of their journey to the keep. Suddenly, He dragged my body to the Keep. **"Let's have some fun, brother," **He grinned maliciously. I flinched as he spoke, knowing that it will not be easy to regain control in order to protect my friends.

I watched unhappily from a distance as my former friends arrived at the Keep. They chose to stay at a local inn. Herobrine crept to an old armory and carefully selected a diamond sword, then He slowly made His way back to the inn just in time for Grayson and Drake to come back from looking around the Keep. They started talking. It took me a moment to realize they were talking about me. I smiled in relief and happiness. They still care about me, no matter what I have done.

Collin then did what I knew was inevitable. He killed someone downstairs. **"Just testing my power,"** He whispered. While we were invisible, they saw the sword. "Go. Get out of here," I tried to say, but it couldn't come out.

He then walked back and placed the sword on a shelf as if nothing happened a few minutes ago.

Once they fell asleep, He attacked. Smoke filled the air. "NO!" For a few moments I had control. "Get out of here!"

The paganum understood somehow and fled, leaving me to smile in triumph. I flinched as He tried to take back my body but couldn't. No bodies this time. He quickly regained control when they had all escaped the burning city. At least the people survived. That is when I catch Drake and Grayson stumbling out of the building they were staying in into the burning mess that was once the Red Keep. Hopefully, He will be too busy destroying the tower to notice them. He wouldn't have noticed them, too, if it weren't for Grayson yelling out, "Look! It's Armen!"

I could feel His delight at more victims, particularly ones He despises so much. **"Well guess what, Armen. Looks like this attack won't go bloodless after all."**

I tried to dissuade Him from attacking them. "Why can't you just for once leave them alone? They have done nothing to you. I was the one who pushed you into lava. Isn't making me suffer enough?"

The answer I get fills me with dread as He turns His course towards the pair as they escape the Keep with their slime. **"No."**

I know He wants to destroy any hope for freedom by destroying the guy who gave me a shot at it, but why Grayson? No. That does not matter. Not yet, anyway. If anything, I need to find a way for them to escape. He chases them over the bridges they arrived on and through several caves. Eventually, they duck into a cave in some mountain. Now is my chance.

"I won't let you kill them. I…I will fight you." After a little struggle, I managed to reclaim a little control. A large explosion sound filled the air in His rage as He retook control over my body. Back and forth we went doing this deadly game of tug-of-war, causing more explosions. Whenever I had the reins, I would go closer to the Keep in hopes of reminding Him of His original plan. It seems to have worked because He stopped struggling to go back.

Time

Several hours later, just before the first rays of dawn started to shine, He finished his 'job.' I thought that now that He was done, we could leave. Clearly, I was wrong and actually surprised. He was too. **"Well I am impressed. Who would have thought that a puny mortal like ****_you_**** would have been able to almost stop an immortal figure like ****_me_****? I suppose it runs in the family."**

I tried to glare darkly. "You are not my family. You gave that up when you killed Mom and Dad, then tried to kill me."

**"Well, I was going to let you have a tiny bit of control if you behaved, but if you really think that, then…"**

I interrupted. "No. Of course I want that, Collin. What, do you think that I will give that up? Honestly, your mind must be going." I hate blackmail.

**"Good boy. Remember, no funny business because I ****_will_**** take it back if necessary."**

I laughed aloud at first when I felt freedom, then took in my surroundings in horror. I was standing on top of a rooftop when I saw the extent of the destruction. There was fire everywhere. Smoke clogged the sky, which was now lighting up do to sunrise.

Coughing, I leapt down neatly to escape the smoky air. I think in science class long ago or something I learned that smoke tends to stay on top of air. If that's the case, then I need to get underground. After searching around for a long time, I saw them. Drake and Grayson. What were they doing here? "No, I am not going to contact them." I said carefully in my mind for Him to hear. If I did, then He will take back control and kill them.

I saw the houses that were destroyed long before this. After groping around for a moment, I found a secret trapdoor. Just after I got down the ladder, He took control again. **"Time is up, Armen. I'm in full control again. Now, I am sure that you know that we won't be alone for long. Actually, we are not alone right now. The key to those, um, ****_friends'_**** deaths is down here. He is an assassin sent all the way from the Empire to take back something that is rightfully, well, mine actually, but they can keep it safe. It doesn't matter as long as it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. I will not interfere with his mission, and you won't either."**

I watched helplessly as my friends ventured deeper and deeper into the train station. He watched them from a small distance as they ransacked old buildings.

I heard the footsteps first. I felt His glee and knew what to expect. "NEVER!"

I regained control with some struggle. Now time to distract the assassin. I chased him desperately out of the tunnel before he could attack. Thankfully, they did not notice him because they were preoccupied with something else. That is when the nightmare came. It chased them down into some water. Poor Drake. He has always hated water. I followed them as they got onto more land. Now they were searching for a way out.

Finally, Grayson boldly made the first move and leapt down into another hole. Drake, however, was hesitant to follow, so I had to take this into my own hands. "Drake," I whispered. Thankfully, he was startled my me and followed after his friend.

Now to try and contact him once more even though my other attempts today have failed miserably. This time, there was no pain. I have gotten into his mind. "Drake, your journey ahead will be long, and dangerous. You will lose many people dear to you. I can only offer this one piece of advice: He knows that you have it. He knows you have one of the three."

Searing pain erupted in my forehead. **"No more of that, dear brother. We shouldn't spoil the fun. Come along now. Let them get washed up now. We need to provide to them a welcoming gift for escaping."** He guided my body through the tunnels as I reflected on what I just said. Yes. He does know about the diamond. I have seen it in His thoughts, and Drake needs to protect it until they can destroy it.

He started to speak again. **"Come. I want to show you something. You might be interested to see it again."** He dragged my body along through the sky.

Eventually, we got to an old highway. Why was He taking me here? **"Do you remember this place, kid? Here, take a look.**"

I studied the area. There was a river and an old path. He flew down the path. At first I couldn't see anything. Then I saw it. The house where it all began. "Home."

**"Yes. I thought you might like it."**

"How is it still here?"

**"This place is immortal, like me. It can be damaged greatly, but permanent destruction has no effect here. Come. I believe they have escaped the station by now."**

Sure enough, they were just swimming across the river. What was worse, the assassin was back, again. He refused to interfere. "Give me my body back, you bloody psychopath." I, in uncontrollable anger, pushed him from my body, desperate to help my friends.

Just in time too. That assassin was attacking them now. "Why can't people leave them be?" I thought sadly as I used my 'Herobrine' powers to push him far away from Grayson and into the water so he can't harm him with an earthquake. Was it just me, or was there faint recognition in Grayson's eyes? Drake, who was now injured with an arrow to the leg, finished the job with telekinesis.

Thank goodness. I watched as they limped away. He took the body back. **"Why don't you ever learn? You can't protect them forever. I will find a way to kill them."**

"Well guess what. You can't touch those who have friends who sacrificed themselves for them. You won't break me, Collin."

For the first time, I was met with silence.

At the House of Herobrine

He watched my friends enter the house of my childhood. Does Drake remember our old home? We watched him from a window in the front while Grayson gathered firewood outside. Surely he remembers this place.

They start talking about the house. I want to tell them to go and leave this place. It just was not safe here. Drake and Grayson go down into the basement most likely to check to see if it was really my old house. He then whispers to me, **"Everything is going to plan nicely."**

"Please tell me there is not a trap down there."

He just laughed. **"No. I have a plan."** He refused to say anything more.

Later, we were watching from the window in the kitchen as Grayson told Drake about the assassin. "Shatter the window. Let them know that they are never safe," I whisper to Him.

That was not my real intention, though. Maybe they will take the cue and leave. Well that did not work. I mean sure, He did shatter the window, but they did not leave. I could tell He was pleased. **"Your silly idea did not work, boy."**

I turned to Him and snarled back, "Burn like you should have done before."

Later that night

I woke up early to a sense of freedom. Why though? Something doesn't seem right, but I don't know what. "Check on Drake." I looked at him from the window, and was horrified at what I saw. His white eye opened, and it was glowing. He pulled out a diamond sword. I listened in horror as he spoke in His voice.

Any normal person wouldn't be able to understand, but four years of sharing a body with a cold-hearted murderer has led me to be able to understand stuff like this. **"****Gninekawa** **era snomed eht****," **or, "The demons are awakening." He walked in strangely rhythmic motion towards Grayson's sleeping form in my old room.

I needed to act fast. He has taken control of his body, and I must stop Him. Using my Armenbrine powers, I used telepathy to enter Grayson's dream. "Wake up." He got the hint and awoke from his peaceful slumber. Well, not exactly peaceful. More of a bad dream.

I watched them sadly from the window of my old room as Grayson got Drake to come back into his senses with Drake stuttering about he didn't know what he was doing. Herobrine took over my body again in disappointment. **"I will get them someday."**

For once I can shoot Him down. "I'd like to see you try." He had nothing to say to that.

Sunken Treasure

For the past week, Drake and Grayson have been watched by both Him and the assassin. Grayson seemed to notice that guy but made no move to attack. Weird.

The Red Keep was now in ruins. Cultist have taken it over, and now they were digging, and I had a horrible feeling I knew what it was. Of course, He wouldn't tell me, but it seemed obvious.

He was currently stationed on the roof of my old home when I heard grunting noises. I couldn't help but smile. Drake was finally awake from that wound. Of course, he was still very weak.

Herobrine dropped a few apples down the roof, again. Why apples? That is the only thing He seems to drop. The only thing I could think of was that it sometimes could symbolize corruption.

Drake seemed disturbed by the apples and walks outside. No one could imagine my relief when Grayson came back from his trip to the wall with medicine for Drake's leg. Thank goodness. That poisoned arrow did no good to his health, and I had been dreading those times where he was left vulnerable while Grayson was away.

They head downstairs to make some sort of charm on this place to protect it from, well, me. I was all for it. He was angry that He could not touch them here. For now, at least.

Once they came back up, they seemed ready to head off to travel a little. After they gathered their bags, they stumbled through the door. I fingered a few coins that He stole from Drake's backpack. It angered me that He was still messing with them like that. They were already short on money.

I followed from a very safe distance as they struggled to navigate the jungle. To my great surprise, they came across the old cabin Grayson had stayed in when I met him after I fell into the void. They recognized it but didn't place any memories.

They got on top of the broken bridge with a little hassle and started their journey. I suddenly felt inspired to do my own "Herobrine Headache." They might be helped by this. Drake felt it coming, and hopefully he understood. Eventually, they get to some building that rented rooms. Herobrine then had the "brilliant" idea to transform into a cat and steal Drake's stuff and the food of the elf Mia.

They go upstairs to escape the "cat" even though Grayson wanted to kill the cat. I wish. Then I will be free. Death in freedom was better to me than life in servitude.

Apparently, they had another quest, only this time to help Mia. Of course, I interrupt with another headache. I had to warn them, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do so these days.

The three of them leave the inn or whatever it was called and started to head their way towards the Keep where the river was close to. I tried one last time to get through to Drake at the same spot I did the first time. No good results. **"Don't worry about it. I will find my own way to punish them,**" He sneered.

I did not like the sound of that, but I had to strike back. "How, though? You can't get to them at our old house, and they always have their guard up. What could happen?"

My insides went cold at my answer. **"Anything can and will happen. What though shall always remain a mystery to you." **

**_Woah. That was a long chapter. I just so much fun writing this. Oh well, you guys all deserve this bonus. If you couldn't tell, bold was Herobrine talking to Armen. My favorite scene was the conversation after Armen prevented Him from attacking Grayson. I just loved that. I also like the flashbacks. They made me smile. _**

**_So how did I do? I held off posting this for a few days so that I can include Episode 6. Actually, I had everything written and ready to go for a while except for episode 6 and that 'tiny' part talking about the images. That came from Armen's Reveal. Then I started editing everything. No joke, the idea that Armen was trying to talk to Drake came before Sunken Treasure. I just had to tweak the story a little bit._**

**_ Also, I think I discovered the location of the Magical Library. Squeeee! Just look at Grayson's maps in the Behind the Scenes, particularly the one at 19:32. Look at the Magical Library map in Reunion for reference. At the right side, you see the same land markings o-0. Weird, huh, or is it. Not sure if you noticed, but I commented something like this in the BTS video. If you saw it, that would be me. Woohaha. Meanwhile, does anyone else think Grayson seemed to act a little different when Mia appeared? Just saying._**

**_Also, please note that the cat thing is just a little bonus. Otherwise, that section will be really short. It could be a normal cat for all we know. _**

**_ Hope you seriously liked this :D. I stayed up past midnight my time just to post for you guys. You deserve it. Hey, I just realized that I didn't include a movie quote. YAY! (For the first time in forever, I didn't rip off any lines. For the first time in forever, maybe I should stop.) Did you catch my Harry Potter easter eggs (hint: one is based off of a spell and the other one is actually kind of based on a "small" idea that allows the story to exist)? Read my other stories please if you can._**

**_ I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving (for the Americans)/fantastic Thursday (for everyone who doesn't celebrate the holiday). :) _**


	5. A Small Chance For Freedom

A Small Chance for Freedom

**_Hello there. As you can see, I have the latest one-shot out. It will feature Drake and takes place between The Haunting and The Haunted. Of course, there is a few Harry Potter references to help the story out. Now you may be wondering, "Lya200, what is this one-shot about?" I say, "You have to read to find out. Note: I am sorry in advance if the enderman conversation seems weird. It was the only thing I could thing of for the story. _**

Drake's POV

I kicked the abandoned can in frustration, watching it clatter away in anger. Ever since Armen merged with Herobrine, I have been on my own. Grayson gone to who knows where, and I was stuck all alone in the middle of the Badlands. "But you are not alone."

That is unfortunately quite true. Ever since Grayson and I parted ways, I have been getting weird vibes. I feel like someone, or something, was watching me. Of course, it is probably nothing friendly. "Oh, Armen. Why did you have to go?"

I already knew the answer to that question. He didn't want Grayson and I to hurt anymore, but sadly, that was not to be. Herobrine took over Armen's body and is now spreading chaos across the Badlands. Even before I learned he was still alive, I was still hurting inside from the loss of my best friend.

I opened my backpack to drink some water. While I don't like being in water, I didn't mind drinking it. While I was rummaging through my bag, I gone ahead and gathered some wood to make a fire so I can make camp.

Watching the light emitting from the flickering flames, I couldn't help but be reminded of Armen' apparent demise. His body had burned, transformed into ashes, and we had assumed that he was gone, never to be seen again. Then, a few weeks later, word spread of a man with one glowing eye who was attacking the nearby villages and towns. When I first heard of this, I knew then and there that it was my friend.

I wanted to help him, but how can I? Herobrine was far more skilled than me when it comes to fighting. Everyone seems to be. How I managed to survive in this world is unknown, so what am I supposed to do?

From the distance, I could see an enderman teleporting rapidly to avoid the falling rain. I was sitting behind a tree to stay warm, so there was nothing more that I could do but watch. He saw me looking at him but didn't do anything. I had learned at a young age that enderman don't affect me because of my enderman half. I suppose that is true, but I wonder if there are other benefits to being half an enderman.

I know that is the reason why I hate water. When I was still living with my dad, he used to joke around that I could be in water and never be affected. Then, he might splash a little on me. Of course, we were having fun, so it would be forgivable.

The enderman was still in a frenzy trying to find somewhere dry. Feeling sympathy, I moved over a little. That was one of the things Armen never understood. He didn't get why I felt sorry for endermen because he was brought up to be wary of all mobs, including endermen. To this day, I don't know what made him approach me considering what happened in his past. All that fear in his eyes after the incident. Yet, he became my friend for some reason that I don't know. Sometimes I even feel confusion at how I act around enderman.

Once it noticed a little room, the enderman teleported under the spruce that I was resting under. "Sorry about the lack of room. Trees can only hold so much shade."

I didn't expect a response, but he answered in the enderman tongue, "Don't worry about it. The rain won't harm us under here. It might not even harm you at all. I don't need as much room for width as I do height."

I knew what he meant. At three blocks tall, they required more space than me. Thankfully, I inherited Mom's height of only two.

The enderman interrupted my thoughts. "You seem troubled. Anything wrong?"

No point in denying it. "Yes. Everything is wrong with my life. My best friend is being forced against his will to attack others, and I want to find a way to free his body from the horrendous curse it is placed under. I just don't know how."

He looked at my enderman half in curiousity, then my human half, then back to the enderman half. "There might just be a way. It is clear that you might possess abilities that no other human can because your other half. Perhaps with practice, you can try and discover these powers and save your friend."

The rain stopped, and the clouds moved to reveal a full moon. The enderman then ripped something from his body. " Mix this in water and allow it to dry in the mid-day sun. It will form the shape of some sort of glove. Whenever you wear it, you will be able to teleport easier. Others could follow if they choose, but you will be able to go anywhere as long as it is preset. Do you understand?"

Magic, then? If it will save Armen, I will do it with no hesitation. I nod and watch as he teleports away. At least I now have a chance, and so does Armen.

The very next day I followed his instructions. Using water from the puddles, I mixed the two ingredients and let it dry our. Just like he said, it formed the shape of a hand with spidery fingers. My eyes lit up at the perfect fit. I was ready to start my quest to save Armen.

A few months later

Over the past few months, I have been exploring my newfound abilities. It was easy for me to figure out that I could always teleport. That must have been the reason how Armen and I could escape Herobrine with the diamonds to the cabin. That might also explain why I appeared in different sides of the room my whole life, including next to the portal. It took little struggle. "He was right. You do have it in you."

It took time to fully master them, but soon I discovered that I had other powers as well. For instance, I later learned that I possessed the ability to have lucid dreams. I also learned several forms of telekinesis. This might actually prove to be useful in the future when I think about it. Thugs, thieves, _Him,_ really anyone. Then there was telepathy. I don't use it a whole lot, but it serves its uses.

I tried to focus on stuff that could help Armen, but I did my best to master some combat magic as well. Who knows what He might be planning next. From ransacking some abandoned towns, I found several books that told me a few useful spells. Sometimes, I would find magic supplies. Unfortunately, though, none of the things I found would be extremely useful to helping Armen.

Today, however, would prove to be different. I was currently going to explore some old ruins that lay close by. I think that they used to be part of an ancient castle but have fallen into decay.

The rotting floorboards creaked as I stepped inside the pitch-black room. What little light that remained shone through the windows that now was bare of any glass, perhaps shattered when the city fell to Him.

I rummaged through an old desk. There was nothing in any of the drawers. A worn down chest lay open in the corner. Still nothing. Groaning in frustration, I banged my head against the cobblestone wall.

The dead silence was broken. A sound that reminded me of a door opening rang through the musty air. Eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, I stared in shock at the opening in the wall. A secret room? Of course.

Wasting no time, I quietly walked in holding my iron sword. Who knows what could be in here. At first I couldn't see anything, but I was quickly proven wrong.

A lone shelf sat against the wall. I used my sword to clear away the cobwebs. Coughing as the dust that was disturbed spread through the air, my eyes fell upon a single book titled _Secrets of the Darkest Arts Finally Broken_. I could see it in dim light, but I knew it was their.

I stuffed the waterlogged book into my backpack to look at later. There just might be something that can get Him out of Armen.

Fumbling around in the darkness, I closed the secret door. Hmm, maybe this idea might prove to be useful later on in life. Have to remember this.

Night was falling as I left the destroyed castle. The door slammed behind me. Great, just great. Now I am stuck in the middle of the night right next to creepy ruins. What was worse, it started to rain. Doing my best to ignore the odd vibes I was feeling, I started a fire.

I tried to concentrate on the book. Using the limited light from the flickering flames of the fire, I started reading the torn and wrinkled pages that were as thin as onion skin. "This is just a bunch of counter-curses to dark magic," I grumbled in annoyance. Wait.

I eagerly scanned the pages until I got to page 526: To Get Rid of One's Soul or Control or Self From Another's Body. There were three possible ways. The first was to destroy the body or object. That was not an option that I wanted to go through with. Next there was simply remorse, but I doubt that He would do that. Finally, it shown a simple spell that had to be chanted non-stop while you were in the same room or area as the person being possessed. It only works with living creatures, but since Armen was technically alive... My mouth slowly stretched into a smile as I looked at the incantation required. Excellent.

Some time later

For some time now I have been trying to track His movements through the Badlands. It wasn't too hard because of that trail of bloodshed he leaves behind where ever he goes. It is unfortunate, yes, but it can't be stopped. "Unless I succeed," I contradict myself.

I lightly trudged through the dying grass waiting for a sign of His current whereabouts. That is when the arrow whizzed past my ear.

I looked up with my sword raised, ready to take on the skeleton. Wait. Why was he not burning in the sunlight. I killed the undead figure of bones but kept my sword out. He must be near.

Then I saw Him watching from the other side of the river. Wasting no time, I opened the book and started reading the long chant. "Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava. Arvadekadava…"

To my delight, I saw that He was paralyzed and a dark mist seemed to be leaking from Armen's body. He seemed shocked. **"You dare try to destroy ****_me_****?"** He sneered angrily.

I stare at him rebelliously, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of cowering in terror. "Well, yes, but my main goal is to help Armen. I know that he is still in there somewhere, Herobrine. I will succeed in freeing him, and you won't have a body anymore. Thus, you will be destroyed."

"He tricked me," I realized in horror as I stopped chanting, "He made me stop the spell."

I cried out in pain as Herobrine's separated part of his mind merged into me through my left eye. I could here his evil laugh as I did my best to flee from the scene. My enderman eye saw distinctly that it looks like He was trying to follow me as I desperately escaped but some unknown force was keeping him from following.

The last thing I heard before I was out of ear-shot was, "Don't worry, Drake. I will try my hardest to fight him." I must have been imagining that, but maybe I _did _help him. I smiled in triumph at the thought.

Several days later that were filled with hiding, I came to these mountains that appeared to be made of cobblestone. At the very top, there appeared to be some sort of set of buildings. Something seemed odd about. It was as though something was calling me to it. It had a magical feel to it.

Should I check it out? It might be a trap. But there might be something useful up there. My curious side got the better of me, and reluctantly, I used my powers to teleport on top of the mountain.

I arrived under an archway that sat in front of a couple buildings. This might be a good place to stay for a while. I cautiously looked at the first room. This could be a nice study. The other building looks like I can use it for sleeping.

Outside of the buildings, I noticed some sort of spire. Weird. Must have been a temple or something. There it was again. Something is wanting me to explore, but what. I pull out my pickaxe and started digging in the wall. I was shocked to see that the mountain was hollow. It looks like some sort of cave. I climb in. It could have been a cave, but I think not. There was glass that I had not noticed before. "One-way glass," I mumbled.

I explored the room that I found. This was not here for no reason. Something is down here, but what?

A few weeks later

I finished the last touches on my new home. There. I'm done. I put a large bed in my bedroom and a smaller one in my study so that there was a place I can rest if need be. I moved in some of my belongings and have also set up a teleportation circle so that I could get up easier if I needed to gather supplies.

Everything was impressive, but the thing I was most proud of was the secret door. Using my powers, I made it to where when I press the wall in my room, the secret door opens. Now I can study in peace and quiet.

I have yet to find the secret of this place. I'm near, I can feel it, but I can't find it. I looked around and saw dirt downstairs. "It's a mountain. Of course there was dirt."

Still, something seems odd about it. I think for a moment, then carefully put my hand on it. The 'dirt' was cold like glass. "More one-way glass."

I pressed the stone around it until I found the door. It opened slowly and I was shocked at what I saw.

There was a diamond that seemed to be floating somehow. Yes. This is it. One of the three.

No one can find it. I did my best to enchant the room to disguise the magic signature that brought me here. Talismans. Electromagnets. Spells. You name it. If someone were to find it, then who knows what will happen.

I have it levitating by electromagnets so that I won't have to touch it. I need to keep it alive to help Armen because I think that if I reunite the three, something will happen. Okay, maybe not alive, but safe. Then the diamonds probably will have to be destroyed in order to get rid of Him for good. Until then, I must keep it safe. Armen needs his small chance for freedom.

**_Well, this is short compared to The Fight for Control, but it is a decent size. Did it seem too confusing? I am not sure, but I hope you liked it. Can't wait to see all of your feedback *hint hint wink wink* See you guys later._**

**_~Lya200~ _**


	6. Ruby Shire

Ruby Shire

**_Now that we have the chapter for each of the characters, I can finally post this. This is the backstory for both Armen and Drake. Originally they were going to be separate, but I decided it would be best to put them together. I have ideas for future one-shots now, but I will still take ideas starting… NOW! It is a good sized chapter with about four thousand or so words, don't worry. Not quite as long as the Armen one, but then again, nothing can top that (at least for now). Note: I don't condone bullying. Just had to say that. DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Haunted or Minecraft. I wish I did. _**

Drake's POV

"Oh please don't make me go, mom. They will think I am a freak. People already stare at me in just the neighborhood. I don't want to have more people look at me. I'm hideous." I tried desperately pleading with Mom to let me stay home.

She wouldn't listen. "Drake, listen. Life cannot always be perfect. There are times when you must accept that things won't go your way. Please, trust me. You are not hideous. You look so much like your father, and he was one of the most handsome men I knew. Anyway, it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. It is the inside that counts, and those who fail to see that shouldn't be your friends anyway."

"Okay," I mumbled quietly.

She smiled. "It will be okay, Drake. I know you will make friends." She envelopes me into a big hug. "I love you."

"Love you too. But can I ask you something."

"You just did, but go ahead, Drake."

"Can you drive me there, please. I think I missed the bus."

My mom and I knew full well that I hadn't, but still she said yes. I climbed into the backseat of the car with a baseball cap pulled over my enderman side of face. Back in my hometown, Derano, I was accepted into the community because there were a bunch of hybrids like me. Here in Ruby Shire, though, everyone is fully human. "Everyone except me," I thought miserably.

Mom's car pulled up in front of Ruby Shire School. "Here you are, sweetie. I will be here to pick you up as well. Love you. I know you will do great."

I held her tightly in my arms for several long moments, stalling for time so that I don't have to leave the car. Finally, I knew that enough was enough. "I love you too."

As I got out of the car, I felt several kids' faces staring at me in shock. They did not say anything as my mom left the school parking lot, but when she was out of earshot, they started the mountain slide of teasing. "Hey, check it out. There is an enderman in our school."

"Ha, looks like a freak if you ask me."

"Don't look into his eyes. Don't want him to go all enderman on you."

"Freak. Freak. Freak." I couldn't take it anymore. In order to escape the waves of insults directed all at me, I hurried inside.

The teasing did not stop. All I heard was laughter all pointed at me. Human-half of face turning red in embarrassment, I rushed through the halls in hopes of evading their laughter. That did not work.

"Look at that _thing_."

"He is so creepy. Those eyes are so weird."

"Why is he even here at Ruby Shire School?"

"This place was built for humans only, not endermen."

"Maybe if we don't look at him, he might go away."

"Ha ha ha ha HA."

"He he he."

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha."

Someone shoved me against a locker. "Freak."

I felt a tap on my right shoulder. "Excuse me."

I was already very angered at all this nonsense, but that was the last straw. I couldn't control myself, so I swerved my hand back and punched him in the face. Hard.

It was a small boy. Tears welling up in confusion, pain, and panic, he thrust one of my pens at me. "I just wanted to return this to you. You dropped it." He avoided my eyes.

I instantly felt remorse for my actions. He was just trying to be nice, and I hit him in the face. "Look, dude. I…" I didn't finish. He was already dashing around the corner.

Finally, I found my first class. Ms. Hallen's English class. I frowned. I have never really enjoyed English class. I am just not that good of a writer or reader.

I felt everyone's eyes pointed at me as I walked in. Except for one set. That poor boy was doing everything in his power to refrain from making me mad. From here, I could tell that he was still terrified. I knew that there was no way that I alone could have caused all this fear. Something must have happened in his past that has made him this timid. But what?

Ms. Hallen started calling roll. The kid's name was called first. "Armen Alex."

"Present," he squeaked as he made an effort to hide his face. For one second, the class turned to look at him pitifully, but why?

On and on went the list of names. My name was one of the last ones. "Drake Shotgun."

"I'm here," I replied coldly, trying to ignore the stares from my peers.

After she finished reading off the last of the names, Ms. Hallen surveyed her class. "Welcome, students, to my classroom. I am Ms. Hallen, and as you all know, I teach English class. If you work hard…" She continued talking about her subject, but few were listening. Apparently a half-enderman was more interesting than an English teacher.

After class, I was walking down the hall, minding my own business, when I felt someone's hands pulled me off to the side and lifted me with one hand about six inches from the ground by my shoulders.

I still had fifteen minutes to get to class, but that didn't stop me from getting annoyed. I glared at the one who dragged me over here.

It was a blonde boy a few years older than me who brought me over here. The guy had a hardened look on his face, and he looked enraged. "Look, I don't want any trouble," I mumbled, looking at him in his dark green eyes.

He gave an exasperated sigh and let me down but still kept his hand on me. "And you won't get any. As long as you just listen to me. Please." He took a deep breath. "I just want to know why you hurt Armen."

The one who gave me back my pen? That was not a very common name. "I didn't…I didn't mean to. I was just mad at the world, and it sort of came up." While I may have the strength to beat up others, something told me that this was not someone that I wanted to provoke. He seriously looks like a fighter to me.

"Pretty suspicious. Do you have proof?"

I closed my eyes in embarressment. We both know that there was none. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you any. I do admit that I did punch him. I do admit I was angry. But I can't say that I wanted to hurt him."

He studied me for a moment. "I believe you."

I looked at him hopefully. "You do?" Maybe not all hope was lost.

He frowned. "But that doesn't mean that all of this can go away. I heard him sobbing in the bathroom after you hit him. I know he was talking about you do to the way he was talking to himself." I didn't need further clarification. I knew I was the only half-enderman here in Ruby Shire.

He continued. "Well, I knew I had to find you. To talk to you. I needed you to know the full extent of what you have done."

I knew that it was pointless to have hoped that it would all just blow over. "Well? What exactly did I do to him?"

He closed his eyes before he answered back, "About a year ago, Armen wasn't this easily scared. In fact, he was very brave. Tough even. He lived an old house in a lone neighborhood with his parents and brother. He chose the house himself in hopes of bringing his family together."

The boy looked at me, eyes becoming glassy. "It did not work. Instead, his parents fought, and finally his brother had enough. He started to go off on his own and do stuff. I didn't know what happened, but one night, the neighbors started hearing screams. Naturally, they all went to figure out why Armen was yelling, and they were horrified by what they saw."

He paused, face paling in disgust and sadness. "They found Armen's parents murdered. Killed by their oldest son. Their bodies were ripped to shreds in their own room. Blood stained the cobblestone floor. Armen could have been left traumatized just by that."

It sunk in. "That's horrible."

"That wasn't all. They found Armen screaming in pain. His brother was trying to kill him as well. He was slowly punching him, cutting him, all sorts of cruel and atrocious things. If they hadn't gotten there in time, then I don't know what would have happened. I definitely don't want to know. He had already lost so much blood. All we could say was that he was lucky to have even survived."

He stopped, then added. "That wasn't the worst of it."

I was confused. "What is worse than almost getting killed by someone who you thought loved you after they killed the rest of your family?"

He answered with a grimly. "They couldn't catch his brother."

My heart started pounding. "Wh..what?"

"He just disappeared. When the neighbors broke inside, he jumped through this window and fled. Some claim that he flew. The police searched for many weeks and still couldn't find any sign of him. The weird thing is that about a month later or so, some villagers disappeared. Their bodies were later found in the forest with a message written in blood. It read, "I will not take defeat. Never shall I seek, for I am always there." No one knew what to make of it, but many knew without the clues that it was him. And that is Armen's tale of woe."

I couldn't believe it. No wonder the poor guy was intimidated by me. He has suffered so much horrible things in the past year. Just that punch must have reopened those mental wounds from when his brother tried to kill Armen that night. I can barely imagine the trauma that must have come from that. But I still have questions.

"Why did it matter to you what happened anyway? Was Armen a friend or…"

He glares at me coldly. "Because I know what it is like to not have parents."

"Oh. I didn't know." I looked into his saddened face, hardened by life of living alone. I had thought that Armen had a problem, but this guy has clearly known it much longer.

"Of course you didn't. Almost no one does. I don't go around shouting that my parents are dead. It is too late for me. I have already learned how to live a life of loneliness, but maybe Armen can get a chance at normal life. Just talk to him."

"But will _you_ be fine?"

He stares straight into both my enderman eye and human eye. "I don't know."

I studied his expression. I really wanted to help him, but it was kind of hard to if associating oneself with a half enderman was social suicide. Armen might be easier because it looks like he has no friends. Still, I wanted my other question to be answered. No, needed. "What was his brother's name anyway? I would like to research him a little more."

Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the bell rang, signaling that class started in one minute. "Listen. I've got to get to class. I guess I will see you around." He then slipped around the corner, leaving me alone.

Thankfully, my next period class was just across the hall, so I managed to get there on time. Armen was in the class with me, but he still found excuses to avoid talking to me. The teacher, Mr. Rodgers, provided to me a lifesaver. "We are going to start class today with some sort of get to know you game. In partners, you will be filling out a sheet that has to do with what you like or dislike. Then you will present. When I blow my whistle, find a partner and sit down. Ready…set…_PHWEEEEEP_!"

The class all got up and found someone. Now is my chance. I quietly made my way over to Armen who was sitting alone in the back of the room. He saw me, though, and tried his hardest to find someone else, but it was too late. Everyone had already started to work. He sighed in defeat but avoided eye contact.

I spoke up. "Look Armen. Listen. I didn't want to hurt you, but…"

He interrupted me. "But you were angry. I get that, but that wasn't what hurt me. It was all the painful memories attached to a single punch. It heavily reminded me of…of…of…of what happened." His eyes teared up at the traumatic memory of what happened a year ago.

I placed a hand on his shoulder. "It is okay. Look. I'm sorry. Just please forgive me, okay."

Armen nodded slowly, still looking down at his feet. I breathed in relief. "Sorry if I kept you from your friends."

He stares at me in confusion. "I don't have any. Not anymore."

I knew what I had to do. "Don't worry. You have one now."

His eyes lit up, and a small smile peeked out from the sorrowful face of a kid who has forever remained in a world full of horror. Just then, Mr. Rodgers appeared behind us. "How much have you boys got done?"

Armen laughed while I stuttered out, "Well, you see, ummmmmm….."

At the end of the day, I was all excited to get to my mom. I was just ready to tell her all about my first day. As she had promised, she was standing in the car rider line with her arms outstretched.

And so I told her everything. I did not omit the fact that I had punched a kid or the story that that blonde boy had told me about Armen. I was most excited to talk about Armen being my friends. When I was finished, she was grinning broadly. "I knew you could do it, Drake. Trust me, you and Armen, from what I heard, will make it together into the far reaches of life."

A few years later

Her prediction had proved to be true. Armen and I quickly became the best of friends. Actually, he has even started to loosen up. No longer does he flinch at any sudden movements or whimper at random moments. Finally, he has started to toughen up.

Of course, there is an exception to everything. He still refuses to talk about his past. I understand that, though. His past was dreadful, worse than anything I have heard before. I want to help him, but I can't do a whole lot if he won't open up.

The others still make fun of me, but I no longer care. I've got those who like me for how I am, not how I look.

Mom placed some pancakes on the plate in front of me. I smothered them in syrup with a dash of caramel. I have always loved stuff to be sweet, and caramel was the best in my opinion.

Sparing no crumbs, I cleared my plate. Seeing that I was finished, Mom took a deep breath. "Drake. I have to tell you something."

My insides went cold at her seriousness and distraught expression. "What is it, Mom? What's wrong?"

She grimaced. "I got a new job. It pays very well, but there is a downside."

I frowned, expecting what she was going to say. "Please tell me that I am wrong."

Mom sighed. "I'm sorry. I need to travel for this job. I will be able to come back on weekends. It is only an hour away if I use an airplane."

I nod slowly, taking it all in. Mom was going to longer be here during the school week. "Will I be staying alone, or…"

Her face grew a very faint smile. "I have arranged for you to stay with Armen. He has been alone for a while as well. Trust me, you will not even know that I am gone."

A few days later

I refused to let go of her outside the airport. I didn't want to her to go. Armen was standing in the background awkwardly ready to take me to his place. I felt bad for him. No longer can he hug his mother or play catch with his father. I flinched at the thought of the one who had to let us go if we were to survive that raid. I miss Dad, but I accept that. I don't accept Mom leaving for weekdays. I guess that it is because she is the last person I have left.

But she is not. Armen is here standing behind me in sorrow. I've got my friend. I opened my arms a little and gestured for my friend to come join us. As of now, we are his family, and he is part of ours.

I've never been to his house. Armen says that he prefers to hang out at my place better. He claimed that at his place, he often felt weird sensations like being watched. Really creepy stuff, and well, I don't blame him. I would to if I lived in the same place where my parents were murdered. Naturally, though, when I entered his home for the first time, I was surprised.

It was _huge, _and it was a little creepy as well. Not quite as big as some mansions that I have seen, but certainly bigger than anywhere I have lived. He showed me a bedroom in the back. "This is where you can sleep, I guess. No one sleeps in here anymore." I got what he meant. "My room is just over here." He gestured to a door off to the side in my new bedroom. "Need anything?"

I shook my head. "No thanks. Can I just have a few moments, alone." Armen nodded and walked through the door into his room.

I laid my head in my hands and sighed. Why did Mom have to leave me. I mean, sure, she will come home soon, but there is an empty hole in my heart. I couldn't help but feel like she won't come back. That I won't see her again.

I can't just mope around, right? That would make this week horrible, and Armen was already trying to be a good roommate. It is time for me to have some fun in my life.

I knocked quietly on the door. "Hey Armen. You still here?"

Armen looked up from the, what was it? A diary, maybe, but it was still so small. It was evident that he was crying. "Yeah. Come in."

Doing my best to pay no mind his tear-soaked face, I asked him, "Do you know of any stuff that we could do? Like, I don't know, a board game or something?"

He wiped his eyes. "Well, there is a lake nearby if you want to fish. Otherwise nothing really except for the library."

I didn't exactly enjoy reading as much as some. Armen was the bookworm, not me. "Alright. Come on. Let's go catch ourselves a fish."

He grinned and followed me out the door.

One week later

I knew something was wrong when the knock first sounded upon the door. Dreading what I might hear, I hesitantly unbolted the door. A man stood there grimly. "Are you Mr. Drake Shotgun?"

"Uh…yeah I am. Why?"

He looked into my eyes with fake sympathy. "I regret to inform you that your mother has perished in a plane crash last night. There were no survivors. I'm sorry." He didn't look sorry.

My body was paralyzed, and my face was as pale as a sheet. "No. You are lying. I WON'T BELIEVE YOU!" I felt my hand curl up into a fist, ready to knock the man unconscious. Mom can't be dead. She just can't. She is all I've got left. I felt tears stream down my face, forming puddles at my feet.

"YOU'RE A LIAR! THAT IS NOT TRUE! YOU'RE A LIAR! LIAR!" I reeled my fist back.

"Woah woah woah. Calm down Drake. It's not his fault. All he is doing is delivering news. Just calm down." Armen pleaded for me to calm down. In answer, my fist made contact with his face.

Armen looked shocked, but his face remained neutral however troubled. I froze up, afraid that I would attack my friend a third time.

The man did nothing but smirk at how broken we were.

Armen's POV

I stared at the emotionless face of the stranger and the dumbstruck face of Drake. I know he didn't mean to hit me. I can just tell. "Go. Get out of here," I ordered the man.

He apparently didn't like to be ordered around, especially by a kid. "Why should I listen to couple of little orphans like _you_?" Then he slapped me.

That did it. I was tired of being the victim of everyone's jokes. Both of us were. Drake's expression was even angrier than before. Glancing at each other and nodding once, we stepped together to the pompous man who seemed rather proud of himself.

And we started to fight. Each punch I lay on him made me even more infuriated. I can't take being like this anymore. It is time to start growing up. Tears ran down my face as I released the anger I held in for years. I can't be afraid anymore. Never again.

Drake, too, was beating him up. Not just for the news anymore, but for how the man had acted towards the both of us, and for that I am grateful. For the first time, I felt desired

Eventually, the bruised adult staggered out of my house with his spirits downcast and embarrassed that he lost to a "couple of little orphans like us." He deserved it. Panting heavily, Drake excused himself to go outside. From in here, I could hear his wails of agony as he took in the fact that his mother was dead. Like mine…

_ I walked inside my house past curfew. The door was open. Maybe they have stopped fighting just enough to allow me to have a peaceful sleep. To my great surprise, it was silent. I couldn't even hear the crickets chirping outside my window. _

_ What is going on? Where is my family? Stumbling around the house, I tried to locate my parents. "Mom… Collin…."_

_ After searching everywhere, even my bedroom, I found the horrifying sight that lay before me upstairs._

_ The cobblestone and wooden floor was stained red from all the blood, dripping from the ceiling. Wincing in disgust, my cyan eyes fell upon the ghastly sight._

_ My parents were ripped to shreds, their limbs ripped apart on the bed or on the surrounding floor. Horrorstruck, I saw something at the foot of the bed. A book._

_ Tears flooding down my cheeks, I could barely read it. In my brother's handwriting, it read, "I'm sorry." Mouthing the words, I wept as I continued reading, moaning no over and over again. "I killed them Armen… You are next…Look…Behind…You."_

_ Devastated, I turned my head slowly…slowly…slowly…_

Drake looked into my face concerned. "Armen. Armen. ARMEN! Wake up."

I stirred. "What, did I doze off or something?"

"I guess. I came back inside and heard you yelling 'No.' Are you okay, dude?"

"Yeah. Sorry. Just a bad dream," I lied. Unconvinced, he said nothing more on the subject. I did catch him, however, sending me looks of concern at me every so often during dinner.

Drake's POV

My heart was shattered with very little chance of repair. Mom was dead. She was not coming back. No matter how much I cry and call her name, I won't see her again.

Drops of water strolling down my face, I punched the windows from outside since I can't reach them as well do to the stairs, ignoring the sharp jabs of pain that came from the open cuts on my fists exclusively from the broken glass. Window after window broke with glass falling onto the floor at my feet. Armen stares at me, possibly worried for my mental health. I am worried for it myself.

I mopped up the blood from that fight in hopes of forgetting all of it happened. That did not work. Armen did not speak, and a black eye was starting to form. I felt guilty and couldn't help but think of how I met him. "I don't blame you, Drake. I would have too if it was me. I might have if I got the chance one year ago."

I didn't press for details. I didn't want them, but to my amazement, he added, "His name was Collin."

I was taken aback. "Wha…what?"

"Collin. My brother. That was his name."

Staring at him blankly, I opened my mouth to speak, then closed it. I was unable to ask him. He somehow read my mind. "He was fine at first, but he changed. I don't want to talk about him, though. I just wanted to let you know his name. I know that you wanted to learn more about him. While I don't want to disclose the answers, I just want to help you. Too many bad memories."

I gawk at my friend. He has been distressed by the pain of practically witnessing his parent's murder and almost being butchered himself, Armen was still willing to provide me some information about the subject himself.

"Thanks Armen. For everything. You are a great friend."

He smiles. About an hour later, he turns to me concerned. "Hey Drake?"

"Yes Armen?"

"Do you ever get the feeling someone is watching us? I mean, ever since it happened, I feel like someone has been there when I am alone."

"I've never noticed it really, but you're right. Things do seem a bit off. I do have that feeling like we are watched as well. Probably nothing, though," I tried to ease both of our minds.

"Yeah, I guess."

Noticing his obvious discomfort, I smile at him encouragingly and jokingly splash mop water in his face. He snickers. "Meanwhile, you are going to fix the windows AND the stairs. Okay."

I frown playfully at him, which only made Armen laugh. Together, we ate some food, then we headed off to go to bed. The last thing that I saw before I passed out on my bed was a pair of glowing white orbs staring at us from off into the distance.

**_I feel so horrible. I was in homeroom waiting for class to begin when I was writing that part with that guy telling Drake that his mom has died. Not too bad, right? Well, that class is NUTS! As a result, I was laughing as I wrote that part. I am so cruel. There was a little insight on Armen't past, but since I have seen many stories about that, I didn't want to be thorough about it. Also, you may or may not have caught it, but there was a special appearance by none other than a certain egg thief. Originally, he wasn't going to appear, but then I changed my mind when I remembered that he knew what Ruby Shire was (he mentioned it in the Haunting 3) Meanwhile, my mind has created MORE theories since Sunken Treasure. Just this morning I came up with one that I will post soon as a story. You are probably not reading this A/N, are you? Well, I guess I will leave you all be. Please check out my poll on my profile. I feel ready to start a new story but I don't know which one. Thanks for taking time to read. _**

**_~Lya200~_**


	7. The Flight of Collin

The Flight of Collin

**_Heh heh hello their. I am back with yet another one-shot. This one was kind of unexpected. See, I was just writing my own version of Armen's prelude in Collin's POV only with a twist when I decided, "*insert name here*, you should upload this and see if the fantastic readers like it." Well, my mind is dark, so naturally, a Herobrine/cultist/prelude story like this will be two. At the last part of the chapter, be wary. It is kind of gruesome. I marked it with *_* YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! If this one confused you, there is a short explanation at the bottom. Thank you for your time, just read. Please :)_**

Collin's POV

Their angry screams woke me up. Grumbling in frustration, I squeezed the pillow over my ears to block out their yells. That did not work. Sighing in defeat, I sat up in my bed.

My eyes flicked over to the door to Armen's room. He was awake, too. His blue eyes showed sadness as well, but he made no effort to hide it. "Are you alright, Collin?"

I nodded. Avoiding his suspicious gaze, I tiptoed out my bedroom door. Silently, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a couple apples from the fridge. I closed my eyes and tried to think of a time that my parents did not fight all the time. Nothing came to mind, at least not for during the time we lived in this place. Taking a large bite from my apple, I thought back to when we first heard of this place…

_Armen ran into the hotel room all excited. There was a huge grin on his face. "Guys, I just found the best place for us to live!" He then went on to explain a large three bedroom house in a small neighborhood. _

_ He was clearly proud of himself for finding this place, so we reluctantly bought the place for five diamonds. _

_ At first, Mom and Dad were fine. Before we moved in, they had been arguing each night over pointless stuff. I had thought that perhaps they decided to stop for Armen and I's sake. Sadly, about a month into living here, they started up again. _

I was fed up of constantly being forced to listen to Armen's cries at night and my parent's shouting, so I had tried to find my own place. Nothing was available, though.

Eventually, I started hanging out in the basement. No one else liked it down there, but it fit my needs. Whenever I could, I took a book down there and would sit down on the dirt and just read.

I debated on showing Armen this place and how peaceful it was, but ultimately, I decided against it. I guess my only reason was that I just wasn't close to my brother anymore. I loved him, yes, but I didn't feel the need to tell anyone about this special place.

Bored, I walked back upstairs and grabbed a shovel from the chest. Might as well fix up the basement. I raised the shovel and started digging. That is when I noticed something. It was a small cave.

I grinned. I can go mining and maybe find some stuff that I can sell. Maybe then I can find myself a place to stay, and maybe something for Armen as well.

In order to explore, I need supplies. I raided the fridge and grabbed about seven more apples and a couple bottles of water. Armen saw me. "Collin, what is going on? Lately you have been acting weird and have been spending so much time down in the basement. Is there anything wrong?"

My rage took control. "Just mind your own business." As an afterthought, I added rather reluctantly, "But, do you think you can get me a few pickaxes? Please."

He eyed me curiously. "Why, did you find something while you were down there?"

It took a lot of self control for me to not yell at him again. "Just do it."

Armen came back a few minutes later with a few picks. "There are two stone pickaxes and an iron pickaxe. I also took the liberty of providing you with a diamond sword. I know it is old, but…" He hesitated. "That place gives me the creeps. I don't trust that basement."

I hugged him. "Thanks Armen." He managed a small smile and walked back into his room. Poor kid. Anyone with eyes can see that this situation has seriously taken its toll on him. I found a few redstone torches in my room and some wood. Quickly crafting a crafting table and some ladders, I decided that I was ready to start exploring.

Going into the basement for the third time today, I hopped into the hole and placed a ladder so that I can get out. Where do I go from here. I walked down the tunnel with the ancient sword in hand, ready to kill anything that attacks.

I frowned as I reached the end of the cave. Just as I was about to turn back, I hear a strange voice that told me to actually mine. Using my picks to make some stairs, I dug until I came across another cave close to bedrock.

My mouth curled into a smile. This was a good place to mine for diamond. Pulling out my damaged iron pickaxe and raised it in a ready position.

That is when I heard the whispers. Well, it might have been just in my head or something. I was not sure, though. I followed the 'sound' further and further into a cave when something stopped me in my tracks. It was an empty hole in the middle of the stone floor.

**"The Void,"** I thought I heard someone whisper teasingly. I whipped around with my sword in a defensive position. No one was behind me. I cautiously turned back around and braced myself to jump. "One… Two… THREE!" I leapt across the void.

"Wo-o-o-oah." I felt myself start to fall backward, and after great struggle, I steadied myself. I felt like something was calling me again.

My eyes were finally adjusted to the darkness. Squinting to see clearly, I noticed something incredible.

Three diamonds laid untouched against the wall of the cave. I felt a muffled laugh come on. Surely this would be enough to pay for a new place for Armen and I. It will be small, yes, but it will be something.

**"Touch me… Touch me… Touch me…" **The diamonds seemed to echo the words over and over again.

I felt my hand being pulled towards the diamonds. All thoughts of mining them gone, my fingers just grazed the side of the ore. All of a sudden, I collapsed in pain as I felt _Him_ enter my body. **"Thank you, Collin."**

The last thing I saw before I blacked out was the blonde hair of my brother.

? time later

"Agh. My head." My eyes flickered open.

Was it all a dream? **"No."**

"Who's there?"

**"I go by the name of Herobrine. You can call me Supreme Overlord."**

I clasped my aching forehead. "Where are you?"

**"I am now a part of your mind." **He walked out of the shadows.

He laughed evilly in glee as I paled. "Wh…what did you say?"

**"Your mind is my mind, and I have a job for you. It will be wise for you to do it."**

"What must I do?" I froze in horror as he described the task at hand.

A little while later

Armen's POV

I was worried for Collin. For the past several weeks, he has been dreadfully ill. Ever since he went into the basement to mine for who knows what. The worst part was that Mom and Dad don't even care that their oldest child is passing over the line between life and death repeatedly.

I shuddered to think about what would happen if I hadn't went in after him. He was already unconscious by the time I got to him. The palm of his hand was against the side of some diamond, but I didn't pay attention to that. I was much too worried for him than some rare orbs. The palm of his hand will probably be scarred for the rest of his life.

Collin stirred feebly. Finally, he was waking up. His blue eyes flickered open. "Ugh. What happened?"

I stared at him pitifully. "You were very sick. I found you down in a cave screaming your head off and you fainted shortly after that."

He tries to sit up, but Collin didn't succeed. "I wouldn't do that. It was luck that allowed you to wake up this early." I walked over to help him up, though.

"I don't need your help. I am fine."

Where did that come from? "But, I…"

"GO!"

Collin's POV

Confused, Armen shrugs and leaves my room. When I was sure that he was gone, I pulled out the notebook from under my pillow. He had provided it for me because it includes a list the people He wants. The other object is for if they fail. A knife.

I decide to talk to the first person. Ricardo Herring. When I felt strong enough, I pulled myself from the bed and walked out the door. My parents won't care that I'm gone, and it is none of Armen's business anyway.

He lived a few houses away, so I did not need to walk far. Good. My body would probably not take it anyway.

When I got to the right house, I knocked on the door roughly. A piece of wood moved over that covered the opening that serves as a peephole. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"The name's Collin. I live down the road. I have a proposition for you."

Later

Ricardo looks at me blankly, unsure of how he should answer. Given the choice, I would have said no. Now I was forced to obey His command. "You know, if you refuse, _He_ will kill you, right?"

"Who is He? Is He the one who …"

"Yes. It is He."

Ricardo opened his mouth, then closed it. His eyes had lost the light that made them happy, and I will never forget what came next. "Kill me now. Please. Just do it."

I reluctantly raised my sword above his cowering body. "Are you sure that this is what you want? You could run…"

"I want this. If you don't do it, then I will myself." He snatched a knife from his pocket and plunged it through his skull.

I slipped out the back door so the neighbors don't see me. He was not pleased. **"One job. That is all I asked of you, mortal. Now you must pay the price."**

I rushed to defend what happened. "He was the one who committed suicide, not me. You wanted him dead anyway since it was obvious that he won't join you. What's the difference?"

** "The difference is that since he took his own life, I won't be able to use his soul for my army of nightmares," **He snarled brutally.

"Well how was I supposed to know?"

**"You weren't. Fail one more time, and you will suffer. **

A few months later

I was sure to be very persuasive towards the other men I spoke to. If they said no, then I let Him take care of them.

To be honest, I actually liked the sound the new order that will occur when Herobrine takes control of Minecraftia.

I guess the only thing keeping me from turning completely evil and bloodthirsty was my little brother Armen. At nine years old, he was too innocent to have experienced the horrors of war that is sure to come.

It did not matter to me anymore my past life. I have become quite used to leading a life of sneaking out at night finding people to join his cult. He called it… **"The Cult of Herobrine. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it, Collin?" **

I did not reply. It was night, and I just came back from convincing a family to join us. Currently, I was pretending to be asleep under the covers. Instead, I was listening to the soft snores coming from Armen's room.

** "Well, I believe we have a suitable enough size of a cult, so now we must discuss our next plan of action. To find me a body suitable enough for me to cause destruction with."**

"How will we manage that?"

**"Just meet me at the site of the Sacred Diamonds tomorrow night."**

The next morning

I had a bad feeling about this. Armen and I were sitting on the porch eating some bread and watching the neighborhood children run around close by. Armen turned his body to face me. "What is it, Collin? Lately you have been distant. I have lived with you for nine years now, and I know when something is bothering you. What is going on?"

"Be quiet Armen. None of this is your business. What do you care, anyway? You should pay attention to your problems."

He tries to smile. "I care because you are my brother. I want to help you. Just don't shut me out." He extended his hand and clapped my shoulder.

That's it. I felt the hatred in me boil up. I was ready to strike any second now. In order to avoid hurting him, I fled into the basement.

I silently walked down the dimly lit corridor towards the void. Taking a moment to rest along the edge, I thought about what happened. How could I have almost hurt my little brother? Was it _Him_?

His looming voice snapped me back to reality. **"I'm glad that you chose to show up on time. It will make things easier on the both of us."**

"What do you want, Herobrine," I mumbled, hands in my pockets.

**"Your true allegiance."**

"But I am loyal to you."

He scoffed at me. **"Don't make me laugh. That foolish brother of yours is making you soft. He is distracting you from the greater good. Remember what is at stake here, Collin."**

"I'm sorry Herobrine, but Armen is my brother, and he is more important to me than anything, including this quest."

What he says next made my blood run icy cold. **"How touching. Unfortunately, love is not a thing to be sought out. Instead, it is something to be discouraged. I am afraid that something must be done to stop this."**

"What are you saying?"

** "He must be terminated immediately."**

"No."

**"Of course, there is another way."**

"Anything."

**"Follow my instructions exactly if you him to live."**

*Some time later*

I can't go through with this. I can't kill my parents. But Armen is more important to me than the ones who neglected us for their own problems. Armen still has a chance of leading a good life.

My hand shook and dropped the knife. It clattered to the floor. I won't kill them. He then ruined it. **"Well, it is either them or your brother. You must choose now."**

"I choose… I choose… I choose… NEITHER! I WON'T LET YOU KILL ANY OF THEM!" I tried to flee from the house only for Him to hold me back.

** "Tsk tsk tsk. Will you ever learn? I gave you a chance to protect part of your family, and you don't accept it. Here. Let me show you how it's done." **He picked the knife up from the floor. **"Of course, it will be much more fun to hear their screams than for a peaceful death, won't you agree?"**

I breathed heavily as I looked at Him defiantly. I tried to move my hands, but some unknown force held them back. He waved His hand, and my parents woke up. They looked at me. "Collin, what are you doing? Why are you holding a knife? Collin?"

I didn't let them answer. The silver blade was already slashing through the stilled air angrily. Blood splattered in all directions, stinging my pupils as it splashed into my eyes.

Soon, their bodies were unrecognizable. Limbs lay dismembered from the bodies that lay ripped to shreds. Blood was still seeping from the side by side corpses that lay on the floor. From her decapitated head, a single tear had fallen from Mom's face.

I wept at what must have been Dad's chest. Why did I do it? I need to get out of here. I snatched a small notebook from the desk and scribbled, "I'm sorry."

My intention was to get out of here right away, but He forced my hand to continue writing. He wrote about how he killed them, and that Armen would be next. **"Now we wait for him to show up."**

"What do you want with him? He didn't do anything."

**"I still need a body, and his seems good enough."**

I nearly cried as Armen found the book and the mangled corpses of our parents. He attacked viciously from behind as he looked behind him.

His grieving look of fear was replaced by that of surprise. "Collin?"

My vision went blank. **"Goodbye Armen."** His hand repeatedly slashed at my brother in places that won't kill him but cause him great pain. My pleading cries had no effect as I watched the life drain from Armen's eyes.

"Collin! What are you doing?! Stop! STOP! IT HURTS! PLEASE STOP! AGGHHHHGHHGHH! PLEASE STOP COLLIN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

He laughed at my brother's agonized cries in devilish delight. **"Oh, a screamer, then? Excellent My favorite kind."** He laughs in glee as he raised the knife to his bloodied and bruised face. **"Now let us have some real fun, shall we?"**

The doors slammed open, and a group of armed villagers rushed into the building. The guy in the front raised a crossbow at my face. "Stop! Leave the boy!"

"It was not me, it was Him. It was Herobrine!"

A young teenaged boy looked at me, then faced Cross-bow. "I think he is crazy." A pair of men with swords stepped forward while raising their swords.

Angered, He grabbed ahold of my blue t-shirt. **"Come on, then."** He flew over to the highest window which smashed at His command. I felt the arrows fly right by me, missing me only by an inch or less.

Into the night we flew until we got to the jungle where he sat in a small square shaped cave. "Well, it looks like you can't control his body now, Herobrine." Words cannot describe my excitement that Armen was alive.

Herobrine acted strangely. **"Oh really? I don't need his body after all."**

My pace went to that of a ghost. "What?"

His voice went to that of a small whisper. **"I had a body the whole time. Your body was mine ever since you freed me. Look into the water."**

Frightened, I stared into the rushing depths of the river and gasped. I was alone. Herobrine was not there. The only evidence that Herobrine existed was that my eyes were pure white. Then, my entire world plunged into darkness.

**_Oh my gosh! What the flip did I write?! Now, for all you confused peoples _**(if you understood what was going on OR you predicted the twist please say so) **_I have your answers. _**

_Collin went mining for stuff to sell to get a new house. He finds the Sacred Diamonds and touches them, accidently freeing Herobrine's spirit. Herobrine tells him to start the Cult of Herobrine so he can raise an army. Eventually, He decides that Collin's family is making him soft and kills his parents brutally. Herobrine reveals his plans to use Armen's body but he needs for it to be dead first. He proceeds to try to kill Armen who is rescued by the neighbors. Collin and Herobrine escape to the jungle by the window. As a twist, Herobrine reveals that this entire time he was controlling Collin's body, and Collin fades into nothingness as he is now just a memory._

**_See, I belong in an asylum. No one sane would dare to write what I just did. If you are still confused, pm me and I will get back to you. I don't want you guys to be all lost at what the flip was going on in this story. Meanwhile, I just want to say that I should probably never write during commercial breaks of The Walking Dead midseason finale and on days that I am going crazy. When I laugh when bad stuff happens to good characters, you can tell that I am going insane. _**

**_Well, besides the part where I was going insane, how did I do? Did I convince you of another way how The Haunted could play out when it comes to dates? Did you like this one? Do I belong at a mental asylum? For all I know, all the answers are yes (including the mental hospital)_**

**_I sincerely hope you guys enjoyed. Thank you all so much for all the support you gave this story. You all are the best *throws confetti and cash into the air* You guys deserve this thanks. Thank you again for reading. _**

**_~Lya200~_**


	8. My Fractured Soul

My Fractured Soul

**_This is probably my saddest one yet. The title suggests it. What this one-shot is about: Grayson. I am revealing what I think his past was through flashbacks. This also includes what could have happened while Drake was out. You won't see a lot of Drake and Armen except for flashbacks. Same goes for Collin. Shoot, I am spoiling things. I am really excited for this chapter because I put a lot of time and effort into it. I swear my eyes started tearing up near the end though. I am not a very emotional person, but you might want to consider keeping a box of tissues handy just in case. (Don't know how emotional you guys are.) Meanwhile, THIS IS MY LONGEST ONE! Including the author's notes, it is over ten thousand words. This is honestly my favorite one yet. *grins* Please enjoy this chapter that is bigger than the Badlands :). _**

Grayson's POV

I was telling Drake about my family when he interrupted me. "Grayson, it is not the blood loss messing with me. That window just shattered."

I pulled out my crossbow and pointed it around the room. "Which one? Oh." It was the bottom corner pane next to us. I squinted in the darkness trying to find the culprit. The night was empty, and there was no trace of anyone else.

Drake excuses himself to go to bed, but I stay outside of his room. What if _he_ was back to finish the job? And I was not talking about Armen, either. I doubt that the assassin will leave us alone after all. I desperately pointed my weapon at the shattered windows, ready to fire, but I don't think that I would be able to go through with it.

It was amazing that he was even here with us in the future version of our world. When he disappeared several years ago, I thought of him as being dead. Tonight proved me wrong. I had no doubt on my mind that it was my old friend from the Arctic Base, Luke.

Drake tapped my back. "Hey Grayson. What's the deal?" I shake my head. I was probably imagining it, but I swear that I could see the shadowy form of some figure out in the distance. I put down my range-weapon. Drake tells me that I can sleep in Armen's old room.

I did not like the sound of sleeping in there because of his current state, but I had no where else to stay for the night. To ease my worried mind, I asked subtly, "Keep your eye out, alright?" It will make me feel better to know that there was another person watching the house.

He sits on the edge of his bed. "Got it."

For a moment, my mind debated the topic. I decided to tell him. "Tomorrow I will tell you something else. Tomorrow I will tell you how I actually got the dragon egg."

With that said, I turned on my heel into the opposite bedroom. It was dark. I remember Drake commenting about the lack of light in here. It is weird being here of all places. How is Drake and Armen's old house still up?"

Then it hits me fully. I have been here before. Not just as a place to stay for the night, but far into the past. I was a repairman.

_ I looked skeptically at the two young teens with a few diamonds clutched in the palms of their hands. Fix a basement up? Don't they realize that it would be cheaper to fix it themselves. I saw a couple of stone shovels mounted on the wall. They have the tools to do it themselves. "Are you sure you don't want to do it yourself. I mean, look at this place." I gestured around the dirt-like cave under their house lit by a single torch. "You could save so much money just by doing the job yourselves."_

_ The younger of the two's face contracted into a wry face. "I guess we could, but that place… Please just do it. We don't care about saving money."_

_ The other one nodded in agreement, so I raised my hands in defeat. "Well alright. I will do it, but don't complain to me afterwards."_

_ The first guy shook my hand. "Thanks man." His friend, a half-enderman, smiled at me. I gathered my tools, and the two went upstairs to avoid the dirt that will probably rise in the air as I dig. Poor guys. _

_ It was harder to fix this place up than I originally thought. Piles of rubble was piled up in the bags I brought down as I tried to make it habitable. "Woah!" I tripped into the hole, or more likely, was pushed. _

_ I looked at the dirt I had disturbed. Wood was along here as well as the tunnel. This place was hidden for a reason. I reached for my dagger to take on my pursuant. No one was there. _

_ Chills ran up my spine as I looked viewed the opening that led back to the basement. The thought occurred to me that maybe I should explore instead of finding a way out._

_ I snuck through the tunnel quietly. This was not natural. Fence poles kept the ceiling from caving in on me and leaving me to suffocate. Doors separated sections from other places. _

_I stopped in my tracks at the stairs. I could not even see the bottom. There was just this bluish hue. _

_I fearlessly descended down the steps towards the fog. After several minutes, I found myself in another cave. This time, though, I could see bedrock. "Well done Grayson. You came down here with only a battered down stone pickaxe. Hurray for you," I grumbled to myself. _

_Then I noticed the man in the back biting into an apple. His eyes were closed. "Um, can I help you?"_

_The man's eyes opened, and I gasped. His eyes were pure white and glowed like a pair of flashlights. _

_The man's hands suddenly latch themselves around my throat. Choking, I barely could wheeze out, "Who… ack-gah-gak… are… gah-gak-ack… you?"_

_He did not answer me. Instead, he threw me against the wall. I bounce off it and fell into the void. After that, my entire world went black. _

The memory had come back full flash. Was that actually how my adventure began? Herobrine threw me into the void so that I did not come across his secret. I believe it involved the diamonds.

Drake must have been asleep by now. I was positive, yet I can't sleep. I just lay in my bed staring up at the ceiling. Why can't I fall asleep?

As if answering my prayer, I fell asleep almost immediately. But it was not peaceful.

_My quick reflexes allowed me to catch the ball heading in my direction. I was the last person on my team, but the other team had one more person as well. Well, at least until I caught the ball and got him out. _

_My team flooded out onto the gym floor and lifted me on their shoulders. I grinned triumphantly as we were announced the winners of the national dodge-ball tournament. _

_I found my eyes flick over to the bleachers for any sign that my parents had decided to come after all. None of my loved ones were there. _

_Rushing so that no one can see my watery eyes, I left before the after party. The streets near my house were empty except for a few people coming home late from Christmas shopping. _

_I glanced over my shoulder. It was never a good idea to be out on the streets alone. After I was sure that no one was following me, I continued on my way. When I got to my address, I was horrified at what I saw. _

_ A figure dressed all in black smashed the window. Thank goodness he did not see me. I rushed across the yard to my neighbors' house. I need to call the police, so maybe they have a phone I can use. _

_ I was about to knock when I heard the gunshots. It took all of my self control to not scream. It was the man in black because my family did not own a gun. Instead, I knocked just loud enough for someone to hopefully hear me. I prayed to God that someone will answer the door._

_ I was very relieved when the old man opened the door. Mr. Mace looked at me annoyed, probably thinking it was a prank. "Please. There is an intruder in my house. With a gun. I think he shot my parents."_

_ Skepticism showed on his wrinkled face as he opened the door just enough to let me in. I found his phone easily and called 911. I desperately explained the situation. _

_ The operator listened intently and assured me that they were on their way. I sighed in relief and glanced at my house._

_ I wish I did not look. The house burst into flames. My jaw dropped to the floor in horror. "Mom. Dad. No."_

_ Five minutes later, sirens blasted outside. I could not bare to leave the safety of the house. Instead, I waited for the officers to come in and question me. Eventually, they did, but I couldn't give them the proper answers. All I did was sob out what I knew. _

_ Firefighters put out the flames and retrieved the charred corpses of my parents. I did not even spare them a look. _

_ They never caught the murderer. _

_ I kicked the burnt stone of my old house in anger at the realization that I had no one left in my life. I had a couple diamonds to make my own cabin, but that was it. I will have to get a job. _

_ I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. My emerald eyes looked into the faded cyan and white ones of Armen. Wait, Armen? Why was he in my flashback in this form? "Wake up."_

I jerked awake immediately. My face was drenched in a cold sweat. Something was not right. We should not have chosen to rest here for the night. We could have stayed in that old repair shop and have been safer. Instead, we stayed at Armen's old house.

I heard muffled footsteps from in Drake's room. My hand found my sword and squeezed the handle tightly. The door creaked open slowly. I got into a position to take on my assailant. The figure walked into the room, and then…

I attacked. The blade rose up to his chest, and I realized who it was. "What… Drake?"

Confusion was evident in his voice. "What? Grayson? I..."

I could hear my heart pounding. "What are you doing?"

He glanced at the diamond sword he held in his right hand. "Why is there a sword in my hand?"

I jolted as I got a proper look at his eyes. "Why is… Why is your white eye glowing?" I asked nervously.

Pure terror took control of his face as realization hit us both. Herobrine has taken control of him. Drake collapsed, but I managed to catch him before he hit the floor. "Drake! Come on. Please be okay."

I half-carried, half-dragged his close-to-unconscious body back to his room. As a precaution, I put his things into his backpack that and noticed he had no more money. I did not want to roll over and stab himself, and I certainly didn't want him to go rampant on me again. This place was not safe.

After his things were safely packed away in his bag, I retreated to Armen's room to try to sleep in peace.

_ I woke up in a squarish cave of some sort. "What happened?" I rubbed my head. The last thing I remembered was falling into the void. No, not falling in. A man with ghostly white eyes tossed me in like wood into fire. _

_ Well, it looks like I am stuck here for the time being. I used some jungle wood and stone to make some tools for myself. A crafting table. A furnace. A chest. A bed since I had a little wool. Picks. Armor. Stuff like that. Armed with my new gear, I decided to explore._

_ I know that it was probably not safe given what happened the last time I tried to explore, but I couldn't help it. _

_ Hours later, I found myself tripping over the roots and vines in the jungle trying to find my way back. "Agh," I burst out as I fell into a ditch. _

_ I had to stop to examine my ankle. It seems like it is not broken, but given my experience, it is probably a good idea to not put a lot of weight on it._

_ Since night was on the way, I made camp. From the bright light reflecting from the fiery depths, I could see an old path. I can follow it in the morning. "Who knows where it leads," I thought as I laid my head down. _

_ The early rays of light woke me up. Being sure to stomp out the dying fire, I stayed on the path. For a while, it seemed to go nowhere. Then I saw the edge of the jungle. I also saw snow and sand. Right in the middle of all this, I saw an old stone building. _

_ There was a chest outside of it. Feeling uneasy, I opened it and took the contents: a faded map, an iron sword, and a book. Thinking it meant nothing, I continued on my way. Luckily, I managed to find the cabin as I now called it before night rolled in. I lit the furnace so that I could cook some fish I caught earlier. _

_ While I waited for the salmon to finish cooking, I decided to look at the book. Bored, I skimmed the pages. I was amazed at what was there. _

_ It started talking of these temples where the three biomes met. In each temple lay a diamond with the potential to destroy Him once and for all. I must get them. I need to. For my family. For others He has harmed. For myself._

_ Revenge was never a good idea. I can't do it just for myself. I pulled out the map. Three symbols were on it. In all the three biomes. Of course, I need time to prepare for this quest._

_ About a month after I came to the jungle, I find an unexpected surprise in the water. Floating on a piece of driftwood was a young boy. Well, he was more of a teen really. His heart was pounding, and my memory was fuzzy, but I felt like I saw him before. _

_ His head moved, and his eyes opened wide. "DRAKE!" His head turned around in fear looking for his friend. The boy slowly realized what has happened. "Where… where am I?"_

_ I shrugged at him. "I don't know."_

Daylight shone through the windows onto my face. Wincing, I decided to check on Drake. He was burning up. I looked at the leg wound and almost threw up. Pus was forming on his leg around the wound. That arrow must have been poisoned.

He needs serious help, better than any that I can get him alone. I did not have anything in my backpack, and he didn't have anything either. Weird. You'd think that he would have healing potions being a mage and all.

That leaves me two choices. One, I can stay here and try to heal him without healing potions, or two, I can risk getting caught but go to the nearby towns and find traders who might have something. Since I want to put others before myself, I went with choice B.

Taking one last glance at his unconscious form, I gathered my supplies and left. I was sure to leave him things just in case he wakes up, though.

I can barely see the path. It was very overgrown with plant-life of the jungle that I was passing through. I couldn't see a thing besides the over-growth. Finally, I saw something looming in the distance. It was the road to the Empire.

Ignoring the 'mild' feeling of hatred towards my former home, I climbed the stone pillars onto the bridge. Where do I go from here?

I made the decision to go for the Red Keep. I had no good reason though. We have already been back several times, but I was interested in the maps in the Magi Guild. Who knows? A clue to the Magical Library could be there. I was about to go straight inside when I saw the smoke. "No." Armen can't be back, can he?

It was not Armen, though. I saw many tents and campfires. They had a certain uniformity to it that marked them as Empire owned. These were not the source of the smoke, though.

Something was going on in the actual Keep. I argued with myself about if I should investigate this close to Empire troops. Last time I meddled with something that was none of my business, my family ended up dead.

Well, I can't just sit out in the open. I walked in the opposite direction and got off the path. Then I heard the twig snap.

I gripped my sword tightly. I was not alone. The unmistakable tip of an arrow peeked out from behind the tree, ready to fire. I braced myself to dodge it, but it never came.

Unexpectedly, my mouth managed to say, "I know who you are. I know you are Luke."

The bow lowered but did not disappear. Keeping my eye on his weapon, I continued. "I don't want to be enemies, Luke. You know as well as I do that you won't kill me. You know that connection, too. We both met at the Arctic Base, and that will never change. That is why you did not kill me back at the river. You didn't want to lose your last friend."

The bow disappeared behind the tree, and I stepped forward to take a look at him. The man was bruised and bloodied, probably due to Drake. His hair was a mess, but his hat was still intact. His eyes avoided mine because we both knew that he would not kill me without knowing why. "I am not the enemy, Luke. The Empire is. Before you do their work, remember who the true enemy is."

I turned to walk away, but his voice stopped me. "I'm sorry Grayson. For everything." I looked back one last time then walked down the path some more.

Just as it was getting dark, I came across an inn. How was it still open after what happened at the Keep? As I expected, a handful of battered Paganum was huddled around a table. Ignoring them, I went to the innkeeper and paid for a room. He gestured upstairs, and to my dismay, the rooming situation was like that of the Red Keep.

I pulled the woolen blanket over my shoulders hesitantly. I should focus on helping Drake right now, not basking in warm sleeping quarters. Never less, my eyes closed for a restless sleep.

_ I rushed inside the base shivering, snowflakes stuck in my hair. Luke, Collin, and Jacob laughed as I huddled in front of the heater. "Y-y-y-ou-u-u g-g-guys s-s-suck." My teeth chattered and I wiped my icy hands on Luke. _

_ His eyes widened at the sudden cold, and he shoved me away from the furnace. I snickered and pushed him away so that I can warm up. After I felt dry enough, the four of us sat around the table, and I spoke to Collin. "Truth or dare?"_

_ He smirked. "Dare."_

_ I thought only for a moment. "All three of us," I pointed at Luke and Jacob, "will throw snowballs at Collin. You will not wear a winter coat. Got it?"_

_ Collin mumbled under his breath as my other friends grinned deviously. One by one, we filed out the door. Jacob laughed out, "Uh, Collin? Your coat."_

_ He passed me the jacket which I threw casually deep into the snow. I scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it hard in Collin's face. He spluttered, "Agh! Not the face, Grayson! I don't have my mask."_

_ I shrugged as Luke's snowball hit him in the back of the head. Jacob's hit him in the chest. Soon, Collin looked like a human-shaped powdery white doughnut. When we were about to go inside, Jacob did the 'unforgivable.' He filled Collin's winter coat and passed it to Collin._

_He took it gingerly so that he could get warm and screamed as the icy wetness of the snow soaked him to the bone. Luke and I laughed, and I high fived Jacob. He glared at us all and faced Jacob. "Your turn."_

_ He stopped giggling. "Actually, I don't want to play anymore, guys. I just want to go to bed." _

_ Collin snarled at the figure that was going into his room, "Yeah, you better run, chicken. You will be sorry. You will all be sorry." He stomped into his room. _

_ Luke cocked his eyebrow. "He's joking."_

_ "Maybe."_

_ Two weeks later, Luke and I were playing a board game. I rolled the dice and got eight. "Dang it." I moved my car to jail while Luke chuckled._

_ It was his turn. He got a twelve, but to my delight, he landed on my Boardwalk that had a hotel on it. "Pay up."_

_ "Curse you, Grayson." He passed me all of the bills he owned except for a five. He mortgaged all his properties except for his Tennessee, New York, and Waterworks. His next turn was uneventful; he landed on a __mortgaged property of his. _

_ I was about to try for doubles when Collin walked in smiling. "Guess what I found."_

_ I dropped the dice. A 4 and a 4. I quietly moved my guy off the space while listening to Collin. "There are some old ruins nearby. Do you want to check them out with me?"_

_ I shook my head. "Nope I'm good Collin. Maybe some other time."_

_ Luke, however, was eager to do something else besides lose a board game to me. "Sure I'll go. Better than losing a bunch of cash to Grayson's hotel." I smiled innocently but stopped when I saw Collin's face. _

_ He didn't look the same at all. Circles had formed around his eyes from lack of sleep I'm guessing. His hair was a mess from not combing it in a long time. Worst of all, Collin's eyes have faded into a white color. The look in them was crazed. _

_ I felt uneasy as I watched them leave with Jacob. I never saw any of them again. I was alone all over again. _

My head hit the wall as I leapt out of the bed. I don't want to stay here much longer. I felt like someone was watching me again, but no one else was here in this room right now.

I silently packed my things and left. It was probably 4:00 in the morning or something. Great. Just great. Nightmares will still be out. Better than the inn, though.

Soon I found myself going down the path towards the Keep again. I guess now would be a good time to check out what was happening at the Red Keep.

I took the long way around since the bridge was out. As I passed the house, I decided to check on Drake. He was still unconscious. I left him some potions on the shelves just in case and exited the house.

It was relatively easy to get to the river compared to leaving it with injury and all. It was hard, but I managed to climb up onto the shoreline and get onto the ancient road.

I was careful as I neared the camps and the Keep. The bitter cold slapped me across the face as I walked in the direction the wind came from. Winter was definitely on the way. I ducked behind a wall as troops came my way.

At first glance they appeared to be from the Empire, but I knew they weren't. For instance, the armor they wore appeared to be made out of different materials. The two sets were similar in color being a deep, rusty red, but this seemed to have a different texture. I cringed as the realization hit. Flesh. Human flesh. These were definitely cultists.

The 'soldiers' were not alone. They were holding bows and swords to the backs of starving and beaten men, women, and children. The slaves were staggering under the weight of the dirt and stone on their backs, and the cultists were gleefully hitting them with whips.

I looked away in disgust. I can't look any longer. As they passed, I crept behind them in interest to see what they were doing. Thank goodness that my two years of being a mercenary paid off. I could travel in complete silence even if I was walking in a forest with the ground covered in leaves and twigs.

I ducked behind some crates as they stopped at a deep pit. More captives were digging away at the dirt and rock and were filling wheelbarrows with the rubble. What were they looking for?

A couple of men turned in my direction, and I hid behind the boxes quickly. Not quickly enough, though. "Look, sir. Behind the bins."

Shoot. I sprinted towards the gate as they followed me. More guards intercepted me as I neared it. The other set were right behind me. I was trapped. The general snagged me by the shoulder. "Where do you think you are going,"

I struggled to get free, but his grip was too strong. He forced my head up to look at him and his mouth made an 'o' shape as he took in my slightly long blonde hair and my emerald colored eyes. A pair of men came forward to chain me up, but the leader stopped them. "Wait. This one is not going to the pit. Put him with the other prisoner."

They tied my hands with ropes and marched me to a makeshift prison which was really a long since abandoned house. A huddled up figure sat in the corner.

My escorts shoved me inside and locked the door. I beat my hands on the door. "Let me go!"

The general who accompanied them laughed. "I don't think so. When the Empire learns that we have caught you snooping around, we can demand an exchange. Their approval for us to dig for one of their men and another man they want so desperately. It is foolproof. Enjoy your stay, while you can." They left.

"Grayson?" My fellow prisoner groaned in his corner in pain, and I crawled over to help him. My eyes widened in recognition. It was Luke.

He was beat up pretty badly. Slash marks from whips had torn away at his clothing, and his face was even more bloody than before. A black-eye started to form as well. Worst of all, his left arm was in an unnatural position. "Oh dear, Luke! What did they do to you?!"

It's funny how concerned I am for his health considering that he had tried to kill Drake and I not even three days previous to this moment. I did not care about that anymore, though. "Luke! Okay, um, uh…" I could not think of what to say. "Please tell me what happened. Why are you here?"

To my great relief, he managed to sit up, however not easily. "I was trying to get out of the jungle when they caught me off guard. Those stupid guys recognized the Empire issued weapons I had and figured that the Empire might make a deal for my release." He snorted. "Like that would happen."

"What do they want?"

"Permission. This is the Empire's land. Technically, they aren't supposed to dig here. Tomorrow evening, they are meeting with a few delegates from the Empire and will discuss the reasons why they should be allowed. They will get punished if they don't convince the Empire. That is why they want us. The Empire wants you too much, so they will probably relent and let them mine for it."

Of course they will. I stole that egg. "Why, though? I mean, what are they looking for?"

"You know who they are, what they can do. They have been sacrificing to Him for centuries. Those tunnels under the Red Keep you found… yes, I know you explored them with your friend. I followed you guys down there but was chased by, well, Him in his new form. Well, I assume you found some weird rooms."

I nodded when I remembered the creepy secret room with the blood sewer.

"They performed these horrific deeds underground in the ruins of the old underground bunkers and the train stations. They are cultists to He…" He stopped. "To Herob… You know who I'm talking about. They are looking for something for Him to prove their allegiance. They are looking for one of the Three Diamonds."

My heart stopped. Okay, not literally, but still. "They cannot be searching for it, can they?"

He nodded grimly. "They are. He wants to unite the diamonds. Once they locate this one, they will try to find and get the other two. Then He will be unstoppable."

I managed to keep my mouth shut about Drake's diamond. While I trust that he won't actually kill me, I don't think he would just keep his mouth shut about the whole thing. "That makes sense, I suppose. Listen, I will find a way out. I will sleep on it, but I will figure it out. Got it?"

He looks at me distrustfully since he thinks that I might not help him after what he has done, but I can't just leave him here to become a slave. I chose to not say anything else. Instead, I chose an uncomfortable corner and slept.

_ I came up the path nervously as I neared the looming city. Can I really find refuge here? Would they accept me? The guards at the gate look at me curiously, and I can't say I blame them. I had a bedraggled appearance after that battle with Herobrine south of here._

_ They let me inside, though. I was thankful for that. The soldiers at the gate, though, led me to see their emperor. He was a mighty man in long robes adorned in precious gems. He stroked his long black beard in thought as I argued that I needed a place to stay. "How can I be sure that I can trust you to live in my empire? What if you are a spy from the Redstone Republic?"_

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "Don't play stupid. Almost everyone knows of the ongoing war between our countries."_

_ "I don't. I just came south from the demolished city of Ironmire. I don't even know what this place is."_

_ "What are you talking about?"_

_ "You won't believe me if I told you. I have come a long way."_

_ Sensing that I probably won't elaborate further, he asked me, "How can I be sure you are not a spy?"_

_ I look at his guards and get an idea. "I could join the fight against the Redstone Republics as a mercenary."_

_ He considered it only for a moment. "Alright. You there, take him to a place to be fitted for his coat. You will need it for up north. You start tomorrow."_

_ I bowed and allowed for the guard to lead me out of the room. He was a young one, probably my age. He kind of looked familiar, but I wasn't sure. As we walked down the hall, he turned to talk to me. "So are you really wanting to be a mercenary."_

_ I was shocked at the question. "Of course. I want to show your king that he can trust me." We arrived in a room. A tailor took my measurements and set out to make me a winter jacket. He was really quick with making it; it only took an hour. Even better, it was a perfect fit. _

_ The jacket was made of dark gray leather and had two pockets in the front. The tailor handed me a pair of gray gloves for the extreme cold as well which I stuck in my pockets since I was wearing my green ones. "Thanks."_

_ He was surprised at my manners. "You're welcome I suppose."_

_ The guard led me some barracks. "You will sleep here tonight, I guess. Try hard to sleep. You have a long day tomorrow, Grayson."_

_ "What is your name? Sorry, I just want to know."_

_ I caught his smile, but that disappeared quickly. "Luke."_

I hope that this was all a dream with me being caught by cultists who will turn me in to the Empire. When I saw Luke slumped over in the corner of my prison, I knew that this was not the case.

I need a plan for the two of us to get out of here. The cultists can't have the Diamond, and the Empire can't have the egg.

My wrists were stilled tied with fraying ropes. Cheap cultists. That was good for me. I quickly jerked my hands apart and listened to the snapping noise as the old rope broke apart.

Pieces of broken rope fell to my feet as I grinned broadly. I can move my hands. I rushed to Luke's side and untied his restraints so he can get away. I looked at the strip of cloth covering the lower part of his face and removed it so I can address his wounds.

Using the ruined rope and the fabric, I fashioned a substitute splint for his arm. Thank goodness it was only dislocated. I forced the two parts back together, and the sudden agonizing pain forced him to wake up. "OUCH! What was that for?!"

"I relocated your shoulder. You need it to be in a comfortable position for when we escape."

"Who says we will be able to leave?"

"I do. Trust me. I have a plan."

An hour later, a lone cultist/guard came with a tray of rotten food. "Time to eat." I sat in the shadows and did nothing. Frustrated, he barged in with his hand ready to strike Luke who was closer.

"Now," I said mentally and I tackled the guard from behind. He was disoriented at the sudden attack and I quickly overpowered him. I rolled him on his back and passed Luked his sword since he needed a way to defend himself. I also grabbed his set of keys from his belt and helped Luke up. "You okay?"

He looked at me doubtingly. "Why are you helping me? After all I have done to you…"

"Because I believe in second chances. Come on, we need to get out of here."

We ran around the corner and found our things nearby. I was consoled by the fact all of my things were there. I held onto Luke's things since he was too weakened from his encounter with the cultists. Alright, maybe another reason was that he had the job to retrieve the egg from me and I need to be on my guard.

"PRISONER ESCAPE!" The yell came immediately afterwards.

"LET'S GO!" I practically had to drag Luke by his hand to ensure he kept up. "This way!" I pointed down an alley, and he understood.

Our backs lay flat against the wall, and we waited until it was silent. They must have thought we went through the gate when in reality, we were doing something different. "Think you can climb, Luke?"

He mumbled yes, so I steered him to the ancient ruins with the trapdoor. We were going underground. I followed the same route Drake and I had taken up to the fallen train. "We can try to find another way around or we can…"

Luke interrupted me. "No, I can swim."

"Okay, but be careful and swim fast. Drake and I almost drowned at the deeper waterway."

"Drake? Is that the name of your enderman friend?"

"Yeah. On three. One… Two… Three…" We jumped into the current together and allowed it to drag us down to the deep water. I locked eyes with him and gestured to go up. He understood. Just as I was about to run out of air, we got to land.

"Ach…ah-ah-ah."

Luke was shaking from the cold. "How did we survive that?"

"I don't know, but I've done it before. This way." I grabbed his hand and ushered him to the opening in the ground that led to freedom.

Together, we ran as far as possible from the cultist-controlled Keep. When we put some distance between the Red Keep and ourselves, I decided it was time for us to part ways. "Here Luke. You will need your things while on the road back home."

He looked at his shoes glumly. "I can't come home empty handed, Grayson. You of all people should know that." When he saw my look of panic, he added hastily, "Don't worry. I won't try anything right now. You just saved my life. In return, I let you go. Just this one time. Maybe someday we will meet again, and we won't have to worry about the Empire. I'm sorry Grayson." He faintly smiled and walked in the opposite direction.

I knew he would be back for me to attempt to get the job done. He was technically the enemy, yet I felt a feeling of dread as he disappeared over the horizon. I guess a part of me wished that he could come with Drake and I on our adventures, and he would be my friend again. Well we can't go back to what we were. The past was the past after all, and I needed to focus on the present.

I headed in the direction of Aegon's Wall which was miles away. It was the best place to get medication for Drake's leg. Traders come in from all over. Also, they don't care who you are as long as you have money, and I had a lot of it.

The reason for that was my job as a mercenary two years ago. Once I rose through the ranks, I got very well paid. Now I had three marques with me, along with much sovereign and other types of currency.

_ The general looked over his troops as he read over his plan of attack on the main base of the Redstone Republics. He was pointing at a diagram of the layout of the base. "This is it men. Tonight, we will take the military base and win the war. Tonight, we will show the Redstone Republics who the real strength of Minecraftia is."_

_ My fellow mercenaries cheered at the news, and I did so just not to stand out. To be honest, I don't really know why we're fighting. I just know that I want a place to live and forget the past hardships of my early life starting when I was nine years old. _

_ When the applause died down, the general continued. "Here is the plan." He started talking about how most of us will go with him and ambush their army. I saw too many flaws with that plan. "It won't work."_

_ He looks at me shocked at my intrusion. "Excuse me?"_

_ What made me say it? "The plan won't work. If most of us leave, then our base is left unprotected except for a small team of men. A back-up can attack this base and we won't be able to defend it. Meanwhile, you already know that we are outnumbered even with ALL of us going. We will lose most if not all of our people because of a faulty plan." _

_ He rested his chin on his fist. "Well, what do you suggest we do then?"_

_ All eyes were on me now. So much for not standing out. "Well, how is this…?"_

_A few hours later, I raised my sword cautiously and nodded to the pair of guys following me. One of them was Luke from the palace and the other one had introduced himself as being named Harris. _

_ The three of us ran in the opposite direction from the base. "Hey, wait up!" I yelled, "Harris is hurt. Slow down!"_

_ Harris feigned injury, and Luke and I carried him as he limped. The guards stationed at the base saw us, and Luke yelled out, "We're spotted!"_

_ Harris groaned. "Let me down here and save yourselves." He inched himself from our grasp. "I don't stand a chance either way."_

_ "I won't leave a man behind!" I lifted him up and ran towards the trees, allowing the army to catch up. _

_ I set him down at the base of an old oak tree. "Stay here. Luke and I will cover you."_

_ I braced myself for the fight and lifted my sword high to distract the enemy. Luke did the same. A crowd of twelve thousand men; more than half of their army; stood facing the pair of us. Their general looked at us sympathetically. "These are just a couple of rather young men. Perhaps you can just show us the location of your base, and we will let you go free."_

_ Luke and I pretended to consider it. "That does sound tempting. Our freedom if we reveal the location of the base. I would agree, except we won't be able to go back home."_

_ The soldiers looked dumbstruck. "Why would you want to go back? Forgive me, but from what it seems, it looks like the two of you were not born there. You probably don't have family there since you look too young. You don't understand how corrupt the government is."_

_ "Huh?"_

_ Before he could answer, the men started falling. Arrows were stuck between their shoulder blades, protruding from their necks as the arrows pierced their throats. The Empire army had snuck up behind them as the Redstone army tried to press us for answers. Momentarily surprised, the stunned army surrendered a few moments later when they realized that most of their men were dead. _

_ The Redstone general looked at me in confusion, but I thought I saw something more. Pity. As the captives were taken to a prison, the general stopped me. "That was a good plan, Sergeant. I look forward for working with you in the future."_

_ "I am just one of your men, not a sergeant."_

_ "You are one now."_

_ The war ended a few days later because of me. I had the strategy that won the battle at the loss of very few men. _

_ The king asked to see me immediately after I arrived at the city. "My general tells me that you helped us win the war. I trust that is true."_

_ I bowed. "Yes your highness." _

_ He smiled. "Good. When I first saw you, I thought you were a spy. It is now clear that you are not." He passed me a small bag. "Choose a nice house."_

_ "Thank you." I open the bag and see a _lot_ of money. There were at least thirty marques. "Wow, this is too much." I reach to give it back._

_ He laughed. "No, keep it. You will need it."_

_ I stepped outside into the heart of the Empire, the Emerald City. Colorful houses littered the streets, and little children played in front of their houses. I took in the breathtaking view. This city was beautiful. I caught the eye of a young woman sitting alone outside of a house. Life will be great again. _

"I need your strongest potions, please." I thrust a single marque in front of the elderly trader.

He looked at me and cupped his hand around his ear. "Ehh?"

"I… Need… Your… Strongest… Potions… Please…"

"Ehh?"

I was getting really impatient right now. "I said, I NEED YOUR STRONGEST POTIONS!" I practically bellowed into his eardrum.

He looked at me for a moment, bewildered at my sudden outburst. "Ehh?"

Irritated, I pulled a scrap of paper from my pocket and scribbled out, "Strongest healing potions for a marque," and prayed that he could read.

"Oh." He went into the back room and came out a few moments later with six bottles of healing potions.

I took the bottles and stuck them into my bag. "Thank you."

"Ehh?"

In order to avoid a long 'conversation,' I stepped outside. A peculiar figure was standing nearby watching me. He had very straight black hair that fell to his shoulders and large, pointed ears. His blue eyes were twice the size of my green ones. He was definitely not human. "What, what are you? I'm sorry if that came across as rude."

"I am an elf."

"Elves are real?" Man, do I sound like an idiot? Of course they are. One is standing right in front of me.

He nodded. Noticing how awkward this conversation was getting, I asked him, "Um, can I help you?"

His eyes twinkled as he replied, "Actually, yes you can. My name is Shyrrik, and I know yours is Grayson."

I whipped my head around to see if anyone heard him. "Shh. Don't say that name. You aren't going to turn me in, are you?"

"Of course I won't. No elf is a friend to the Empire. I know you have a good reason for taking that egg, and I'll leave it at that. I realize that this is coming off being stalkerish, so allow me to explain. I am an oracle, so I know things that you can barely describe."

"If you are being truthful, which I am not saying that you are not, then why do you need help from a vigilante like me. I am just an Egg thief."

"You are not just that. You forged the Fiery Sword. You helped defeat Herobrine even for a short time. You managed to retrieve the last Dragon Egg. You helped win wars. You went through all this pain and suffering just to help others, including those who hurt you. You are more than a thief. That is why I need your help."

"What is it that you need help with, then?"

"You will see in a few days' time. You will come across another elf who will ask it of you. When you help her, you will find something else far more valuable. What I ask is that you keep it. It will be useful in due course."

"Okay."

"Thank you. Also, I have a piece of information for you. It is about the Fiery Sword."

My eyes perked up. "What?"

"The sword was not destroyed. Instead, it landed close by. If you want to save your friend, you must retrieve it." His voice faded, and before my very eyes, Shyrrik disappeared into thin air. He must have been a part of my imagination, or was he? It was getting late, though, so I need to set up camp.

I didn't dare try to sleep in an inn since the fact that I am wanted by the Empire. Instead, I hid inside a cave.

_My friends had learned to not speak of them around me. I was an orphan who failed to save his parents. For a while, I was the only one in town. Everyone had at least one parent in Ruby Shire. For the most part, there were two people in their lives. There was not even an orphanage. _

_ Then we all heard the screams. I was alone at my house playing video games when I heard the torturous yells of agony coming from a large and creepy house near the woods. _

_ At the first sound of disturbance, I dropped the video controller and jumped to my feet. I removed the bow and the quiver of arrows from the wall and stepped outside. A crowd of villagers were gathered outside. The self-appointed leader, Evan, raised his crossbow. _

_ A pair of older men kicked down the front door and we all barged in. I cringed at the sight. A battered up kid was clearly really close to death. Blood was splattered the room. I almost gagged at the sight close by to him. Dismembered body parts from his family. Evan turned to another boy who was holding a knife to the face of his little brother. "Stop! Leave the boy!"_

_ The older man raised his finger and pointed at nothing. "It was not me, it was Him. It was Herobrine!" _

_ My neighbors look at him confused. I glanced at the crazed murderer then Evan. "I think he is crazy." _

_ He nodded and signaled a pair of men near the front to come forward. They stepped towards the boys to take on the older one. Then a weird thing happened._

_ His mouth opened, and in a demonic voice, he snarled, __**"Come on, then."**_

_ The window above the doors shattered and he flew out of it. I aimed my bow at him as did others, but we missed him by inches. _

_ The older people turned to follow him, but my main concern was the kid who was slipping away by the minute. He was in shock. Blood was pouring from the cuts his brother made. A woman offered me a handkerchief, and I took it gladly. I used it to cover his most serious wounds, and soon others passed me scarves once they figured out what I was doing. _

_ The kid was still moaning one name, "Collin." At least he can speak. Real doctors ran inside and put him gently on a stretcher. I stood up also and retrieved what arrows I could from the wall and ground. _

_ I later discovered the name of the other orphan in town, Armen. His story was worse than mine. My parents were only shot and the house burned down, and I was unharmed physically but not mentally. Armen, on the other hand, suffered after seeing his parents' corpses. They were clearly being tortured. Then his older brother, Collin, turned his knife on Armen and almost succeeded in killing him too. _

_ The police couldn't find any trace of Collin except for at the house. The community offered to give Armen a new one, but he refused. _

_ At school, I saw him. People were avoiding him now. News spreads quickly in Ruby Shire. I watch him pitifully. I knew how it was to have no parents. I will help him no matter what. _

_ A trio of guys start pushing him around. Tears fell down Armen's face, so I intervene. I picked up the largest of the bullies buy the scruff of his neck. "Why are you picking on this kid? What has he done?"_

_ They did not answer because of my reputation as the champion fencer in fencing classes. The one I was holding finally muttered, "Because of who his brother is."_

_ I dropped him, and he landed on the ground in a heap. "Well, do it on someone else. He is not his brother. Armen is not one you should mess with. If I catch you picking on him again," I did not have to finish my threat because they all fled from the scene._

_ Smirking, I passed Armen his stuff. "You okay?"_

_ He nodded and quickly ran off. Poor kid. I left the corridor as well for next period. _

I climbed out of my cave and almost laughed at what I saw close by. He must of hid when he heard me wake up and tried to hide the fact that he followed me, but that did not work out. A purple piece of cloth was ripped from his uniform and lay on the rocks close by. I did not expect him to not follow me, so I was amused at this slip up.

I decided to try to find my way back to Drake since he was in need of this medication. Bottles in hand, I started my journey back to the house.

It was a long journey back, and a little lonely, too. I know Luke was still following me because occasionally I would see a flash of purple out of the corner of my eye as he tried to evade my gaze. He was my official shadow now, I guess.

It was getting dark again, and I needed something to eat. I dug around in my bag and pulled out blueberries. I don't want to eat too much because food will be a lot tighter with winter around the corner. Leaves rustled close by, and a second later, I heard a yell.

In the firelight, I saw a nightmare chasing a figure. I debated on leaving him so he won't hurt us later, but my conscience forbade it. He was the only one left from my past besides Drake. Everyone else was dead or, in Armen's case, taken over by evil crazy guys.

Sighing, I whipped out my sword. I seriously need to stop helping Luke. One of these days, I know I will regret not leaving him for dead, but I don't care.

About five seconds later, the nightmare was gone. I had chased it towards the flames, a weakness of the creatures of the night.

Luke's arm was still in its sling, so I knew it was still weak. His wounds had reopened, and fresh cuts were made from tree branches. I reluctantly gave him one of the bottles. "Go."

His eyes widened to the size of that of an elf as he saw the gift. Luke took the bottle and ran off in the opposite direction.

"He'll be back," I thought to myself as I laid my head on a rock. I know he will not attack me while I was asleep. This connection between us was far too great.

_I jogged down the little road towards Alduin's Keep. There might be some supplies at the trading post. That place has been abandoned for a long time. "Hey!"_

_ I thought I heard a familiar yell behind me, but I did not respond. It could be an enemy. Seeing no other choice, I continued down the path. _

_ Creepy vibe. Probably a nightmare. That equals bad news. I was glad when I got out of the forest. _

_ I took a look on the messenger board and see my face next to a sign reading, "Sword for hire. Grayson is wanted." I angrily rip the poster bearing my face from the board and crumple it up._

_ "Oh, hey!" The voice again. _

_ "Hello?" I inquired cautiously._

_ "Hey oh…" The familiar voice said something else that I did not catch. "Wait a moment… HEY! Behind you!"_

_ "Huh? Hello?" I turned around and saw a very familiar half-enderman. _

_ "Grayson?"_

_ "Drake?" We were united once again._

_ "What are you doing…" He stepped back. "What are you doing here? It's been like…"_

_ "Four years," we said together. _

_ He took another step backwards. "I haven't seen you in so long." I walked towards him carefully. "It's nice to see a friendly face for once. The only people I have seen around here are bandits and thugs. What's up, man?"_

_ I thought for a moment. In truth, I felt horrible. I did not say that, though. I couldn't. "I'm just coming through Alduin's Keep."_

_ He smiled. "Yeah, I guess a hunch kinda came here. I think I saw you earlier."_

_ "Really? Was it at Uldun?" _

_ "Yeah. I was going over there to see if there was any supplies cause you know… I'm not sure if you knew, but with what happened nearby, I assumed everyone had left and…"_

_ I felt my insides tighten. "I know what is happening all over the Badlands."_

_ His expression darkened for a moment. "Yeah. The Badlands have been plagued with, well, Him."_

_ "Yeah." In an attempt to change the subject, I offered, "You need some water? You must be parched."_

_ He looked relieved. "Yeah, sure, why not."_

_ I took off my backpack. "Here let me see…"_

_ He took off his, too. "Yeah, I'm kinda hungry myself. I see you have made yourself a backpack. That could be pretty useful."_

_ "Yeah, um, behind you." I passed him the bottle. _

_ He drank up and kept the bottle. "Oh thanks. Needed that." He ate some raspberries as well. _

_ I felt curiosity creep up on me. "So, where have you been all these years?"_

_ He laughed. "Huh. I could ask you the same thing. I have… well… kind of hard to explain honestly. I've been… uh traveling. In and out of the Badlands, but mostly here in the Badlands."_

_ I almost decided to keep it to myself, but I needed to know. "Have you made it to the inner circles of the Empire yet?"_

_ He breathed. "No… Actually, I haven't been that far in." I looked at my feet, and he brought up more on the subject. "Oh, but I've heard of the great cities they have there. I've never been…"_

_ I winced. "Yeah, they're pretty great."_

_"Oh really?" He headed for the billboard._

_" I can't really go back anymore, but…"_

_He turned in my direction. "Why not? What happened?"_

_His concern was genuine, so I pointed out the sign. "Well, if you look here, you… Before this place fell, let's just say…" I walked away as he read it aloud. _

"Sword for hire._ Grayson is wanted. Okay. I see you have made a name for yourself then."_

_I could already feel the memories coming back. "I didn't really do anything wrong. I just have something in my possession that they want." We continued away from the_ _board. _

_He seemed clueless. "Who's 'they?'"_

_"The Empire."_

It was not easy waking up. I did not like the cramp in my neck from this uncomfortable way of sleeping. I rolled up my sleeping bag and gathered my things to continue on my way back to Drake.

You know that feeling that you are being watched? Well, here it is again. Either a nightmare or Luke. Maybe both. The important thing is that I get out of here and back to Drake.

For the past few days, all that has been on my mind was the past. The deaths of my families and other loved ones. So many horrid memories. All because of an encounter with a past friend I thought dead.

I rested my head in my hands. Why did it have to be me? It was all that thief's fault. If he never had broken into my parent's house, I would not have needed a job to pay for a new one. If I never got that not as a repairman, I would not have went into Armen and Drake's basement. I would have never fell into the void. I would not have been connected to Collin. I would not have went into the portal. I would not have lost my past life.

Then again, I would not have met many people who I've come to love as family. Armen. Drake. Luke. Kathryn. All of them. Artie would not have even existed if I didn't come here.

Everything happens for a reason. Some things can never be changed. I had an important role in this world. It was my job to keep it. I closed my eyes to keep the tears from falling. I was broken inside, but I can't let it affect me. I need to be strong. For Kathryn.

I made the decision to not tell Drake about the past week. I might not even tell him about Luke. I know I will tell him things that he will need to know, but nothing more. I just can't bear it.

Wiping my eyes, I was relieved when I saw the jungle again. Houses were in the trees, and somehow I knew that they belonged to Elves. Grinning just to fight back against the sadness, I walked forward.

I was telling the truth when I told Drake that I had a fractured soul. What the Empire did to me was unforgivable. Same with the unnamed murderer. Never less, I will remain strong, for some things are worth fighting for.

**_Woah, that was huge. I kind of wish that I did not post that first shot. You know, The Quest for the Egg. That would have fit in with this story so well as another flashback. Well, as Grayson said, some things can't be changed. (formally taken from _****_Wicked_****_ during "Defying Gravity") We cannot dwell on the past but instead live in the living (Dumbledore said that in HP4 I think, or something like that). I need to stop saying these things grr. Well, I hope that you absolutely loved this. If you have time, how about you review. Please *kitten eyes*. I will love you forever. Also, any suggestions? I will love you guys for them (already love you but still). I NEED IDEAS! Don't worry, I will give you all credit. Last words before I part, have a safe day/night. :D_**

**_~Lya200~_**


	9. Christmas

**_Okay, so originally the next one-shot was going to be about Mia, but I decided to put it off for next one-shot and write this Christmas special instead. This will hopefully turn out to be much sweeter than the disaster my Halloween chapter was. *shivers* This one will also stay true to the Haunted, for the most part. I may or may not have forgotten to include someone. This Christmas does not require elves apparently. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor. Please note that I purposely made it third person. WARNING: I DO NOT RECOMMEND READING IF YOU DON'T CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS! I don't want to offend anybody. You have been warned. _**

Christmas

No one's POV

Drake and Grayson trudged through the snow silently. They weren't exactly sure what they were looking for except for the Magical Library. The duo had very few clues as to where it could possibly be, and with winter here, their travels could be brought to an abrupt end because it was never a good idea to spend so much time out in the cold like they did.

Food was another problem. The animals were all hiding to keep warm, and they did not blame them. The wild berries were freezing up, and soon all things edible would be scarce. Grayson was better equipped to last the winter than Drake. He had spent a few years in the Arctic, lived in the wilderness for who knows how long, can scavenge food wherever possible, can fight off predators, worked as a mercenary, and several more things.

Drake was being useful in a different way. To keep from wasting firewood, sometimes he used his powers to keep them warm. It kept them from revealing their location to other enemies that did not already follow them.

Some nights, though, nothing seemed to really help. Tonight was one of those nights. Drake shivers from the bitter cold. While the warmth from the campfire sort of helped, the mage couldn't help but feel the icy cold. Grayson was lucky. All those nights he had spent alone out in the cold during all those years of his life made him used to this feeling.

Drake tried to hide his discomfort, but being a smart explorer who notices the slightest of details, Grayson saw him shake. He reached into his backpack and grabbed his own sleeping bag. Drake smiled at him gratefully. "Th-th-thanks Grayson. But won't you be cold?"

Grayson chortled, "A little, but don't worry about it. Between my years of living on the streets, working at the Arctic Base, fighting battles up north, and on the run from the Empire, I think that I don't really need to worry about the cold. I hope you understand, Drake."

The half-enderman nodded, but he did not understand. Why won't Grayson take his sleeping bag? Drake knew that he was a generous fellow for the most part, but he still needed to keep warm. The former-mercenary could catch hyperthermia if he was not careful.

Drake tried to fall asleep. He really did, but too many things were bothering him. How was he supposed to help Armen? Where was the Magical Library? Will he and Grayson even be alive to find out?

Grayson rubbed his hands together to keep them warm. He did not regret giving up his only source of warmth to his friend. The half-enderman was freezing, so Grayson wanted to help him. Of course, Drake was still awake even with the extra sleeping bag.

Thoughts still nagged Grayson at the back of his head. Two years ago, he could have been spending this time with his family, but he ruined it. Grayson wanted to fix his past, but he couldn't. Suddenly, a thought hit him. "Drake. You awake?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I have been keeping track of the days to stay sane, and I think tomorrow's Christmas."

His companion sat up. "Christmas? Really? You are not pulling my leg, are you?"

"Trust me, Drake. I would not joke about this."

The purple and white eyes met with green. "Why did you bring this up?"

"Too many things are bothering us both, even if we won't admit to it. Yeah, I know that you have trouble falling asleep like me. That is why I always take watch. Maybe this is a time to actually be honest with each other."

Drake averted his eyes. "I am not hiding anything, Grayson."

Grayson stared at him with his eyes saying, "Seriously?" "Look Drake. We both know that that is not true. I see you roll around in your 'sleep.' Nothing else can keep you up like that that I can think of. Christmas is tomorrow. I'm sure of it. I think that I speak for both of us when I say that I want our Christmas to be semi-decent."

"But what about our quests? We still need to find the Library to hatch the egg and save Armen."

"We can do them, but I just want the chance to not feel guilty for once. In my life, I have had only thirteen decent Christmases. I can't even remember my first six ones, so that brings it down to seven."

Drake did not want to know anymore than that. The blonde, however, wanted to get his guilts off his chest for once. "Just after my tenth Christmas, my parents were killed. I was forced to live out in the streets and take jobs meant for adults just to survive. Then, once I was nineteen, I ended up at the Arctic Base."

"For once I dared to enjoy Christmas. I had friends there. Then they all disappeared. Of course, a few years later, we all fell into the portal. I did not even really celebrate it since I was more worried about my life. Then, one year later, I met Kathryn. We soon married, and I managed to celebrate Christmas with her for two years. Then she and my son died. I just want to celebrate it once again. I hope you understand."

The mage nodded. He felt the same way. It had been years since he last celebrated Christmas because of his mom's death. The last Christmas he had was the first one he actually had with Armen. A few months later, they started being haunted, so he never thought of it since. "I do."

Grayson seemed relieved. "Just get some sleep, alright. Santa won't come if you are awake," he said slyly.

Drake chuckled. "What about you?"

"I am the exception."

There was a second of silence, then they both busted out laughing. "For one night," Drake told himself sternly, "you can forget about the harshness of reality, Drake. Just tonight."

Grayson glared at nothing in particular. He was tired of having his favorite holiday ruined by tragedy. For all the former soldier knew, he would be forced to suffer once again. Right then and there, he decides that he won't allow anything bad happen to mar today's memories.

He dug in his bag until he found the item he was looking for. The commander wrapped it in leaves to be a makeshift Christmas present for Drake. Something in the back of Grayson's mind wanted the former mercenary to forget all of his troubles and the horrors of his past. All Grayson wanted was to be free from this nightmarish life that he led.

Drake seemed to have a similar idea. He had nothing really of value on his person at the time besides magic supplies, so he needed to be creative. In order to not draw any attention to himself, Drake carefully extracted an empty water bottle from his bag. It was a decent sacrifice since they had several. Next, he gathered some pebbles from the stream. Once they hit the bottom of the glass, he filled the rest with clear water. Not much, but it was a good enough gift for Grayson.

He hid it behind his back when Grayson returned from who knows where. Grayson seemed uneasy in Drake's eyes, so instead of waiting for morning, the half-enderman decided to give him the present now.

Neither of them mentioned the lack wrapping paper the gift had. Instead, Grayson wrapped it carefully in moss and vines to keep the glass from shattering and releasing its contents. The green-eyed man passed his friend something wrapped in leaves. The package was very lightweight, so Drake assumed that it would not be too valuable. He was wrong.

"Your stone? Are you sure Grayson?"

He nodded. "Yeah. It is more useful for you than for me. I don't really mind the water as much."

Drake was left speechless. He could not believe that Grayson gave him that stone that allowed him to walk on water. "I guess all I can really say is thank you."

Grayson smiled weakly. "Yeah. No problem."

Drake knew that something else was wrong. "Are you okay, dude? I know something is bugging you. Just tell me."

"I don't really know, to be honest. I feel like whenever I celebrate this holiday, something bad will happen to my friends and family. My parents were shot and killed a few months after Christmas." Fury leaked from his voice as Grayson slowly let out the anger he was holding back for the past several years. "My friends at the Arctic Base all had different fates. One I suspect died. At least he never came back, and you and Armen both saw blood at the oil rig. Another fell into the same portal we did. The last one ended up wrecking chaos everywhere. Yeah, I worked with Colling for about a year. I somehow managed to celebrate Christmas for two years with my new family. Then, well, you already knew that my family ended up being hung and drowned after I stole the egg."

"Woah. Slow down. All I got was someone getting shot, you celebrated Christmas with Him, and your family getting killed. Wait, did you say something about the portal?"

Grayson ignored his comment. "So yeah. That is what's wrong. I don't want to lose anyone else. Not to thieves, not to the Empire, and definitely not to Herobrine."

Drake stared at him with wide eyes. His friend just said His name aloud. Grayson must really be mad if he dared to risk saying the tabooed name. Then again, it might be safe to say it since he was technically called 'Armenbrine' now. The mage knew in his heart that the anger was not directed at him, but Drake could not resist the urge to back up a few steps.

Grayson saw this and stopped speaking. He had experience with holding in his emotions. Let's face it. He was tired of bloodshed, and releasing his anger could either help him or be catastrophic since it had built up over the last few years. He made a mental note to try to calm down. "Sorry about that. It feels good to release some of my feelings, but not all of it."

Drake smiled, and Grayson nodded. He looked at his watch that he had under the sleeve of his jacket. "It's midnight. You know what that means, right?"

Drake's thoughts were mixed from drowsiness. "No. Not really."

"It's Christmas."

Drake felt his insides warm in happiness. He survived to see the holiday after all. "Oh."

Grayson grinned, only this time it was not forced. "Well, merry Christmas, Drake."

"Merry Christmas Grayson."

**_Shoot, I forgot all about Mia. There was mention of her at all for this. *sighs* Of course I am too lazy to edit her in or else it seem forced. I hope that besides the lack of Elves for Christmas (just thought up of that joke right now) that you enjoyed. At least it was not a disaster like the Halloween one. By now it seems kind of obvious that you might celebrate Christmas. At the top I warned you, didn't I? Well, have a merry Christmas. Oh, by the way, do you know of any music/videos that can serve as inspiration? I would really appreciate it. Thanks for sticking by with me this long. Have a very merry Christmas :) _**

**_~Lya200~_**


	10. Underground Treasure

**_Hi again people of Earth, Jupiter, Alderaan, Mars, Corusant, Minecraftia, wherever you are. This is yet another one-shot, this time featuring a rather new character, Mia. This one was requested by my brother who does not have an account, so I can't really say check him out. Now you may be wondering about what I am writing. How about instead of me telling you, you actually read it. _**

Let's go on an adventure

Underground Treasures

Mia's POV

My shovel sent the dirt flying behind me. I was getting closer to finding it. I can already tell. My colleague's pickaxes grounded up the stone and brought us one step closer to discovering the artifact.

A new wave of anticipation took us all by surprise as one man called out from his spot, "Hey, there is something here."

I reached for my pick and followed the other archaeologists down to the miner. As my pickaxe made contact with the solid stone, sprays of dirt flew up into my face. I did not mind. I long since got used to it.

Something glinted in the morning sunlight. I dropped my tools and used my hands to dig around to grab my treasure. We all held our breath in excitement as I held up our reward for our long days of mining.

But it was not what we were looking for. A few men had disappointed looks on their faces, but I for one was still excited. I recognized the object from my books. There was no doubt that this was the Holy Grail. "Well, I will take this back to Markus tomorrow," I clarified to my team as I wrapped it carefully in cloth. "He will know what to do with it I'm sure."

I had no serious intentions of giving it to anyone. Actually, I planned to buy it from him quickly because I felt inclined to keep this artifact. It was really nice, and it served as a reminder that I was the one who uncovered it.

Later that night I could not sleep. The chalice was packed away safely into my backpack for transport. The excitement of discovering something so priceless was still there, but it was mixed with another feeling that I could only describe as being fear.

Why was I feeling so tense? I grabbed my stuff as dawn arrived. It was time to bring my findings to Markus. While I did trust some of my friends with the treasure, I did not think that everyone would just leave it be and not sell it for a small fortune.

I slipped out the entrance of my tent nervously. The night was cold. I did not like the cold. The dead leaves that my boots crushed under my feet crunched loudly. I jumped every time I snapped a twig.

Eventually I got to a small inn nearby. It was close to night now. I had a very uneasy feeling that I just escaped something horrid. "One bed, please," I muttered to the innkeeper. I guess I am lucky that he understood what I wanted. Of course, I still had to hold up a sovereign and point up the stairs.

I let out an annoyed groan as I noticed the rooming situation. All of the beds were crowded together in all one room. Flinching at the fact that everyone else here was male, I chose a bed in the loneliest corner. Otherwise, I might end up being faced with some oddly interested men.

The smell of hotdogs came from down below. Eager for something fresh to eat for once, I descended the steps down into the main hall. A handful of pagunum were circled around this table in the back.

I paid for my share of food and went outside to eat. While it was still freezing outside, it was more peaceful that inside the inn.

I jinxed it. An explosive sound boomed in the distance. Moments later, dozens of pagunum sprinted down the road towards the inn. I stared at the terrified and worn out men, women, and children that nearly trampled me. A couple of them entered the inn. The others continued down the long road to most likely the Empire.

The Empire. Just the thought of it makes me cringe. For several years now, they have been hunting down anything considered mystical to employ them to become their newest weapons against others.

Since I was an elf, that meant they wanted my race. We possessed several abilities that most can only dream about. The emperor of the Eastern Court came by one day years ago and demanded our allegiance. To make sure we stayed in line, I and three others were forced to pose in front of his throne all day. It was pretty sick. He had nothing to gain out of all that. If my friend didn't help me escape, I'm sure that I would still be stuck there to this day. Truthfully, though, I'm pretty sure they are after something else right now.

Just before I left a year or two ago, a thief came in the night and stole _His Royal Majesty's_ most prized possession. A dragon egg. The outraged emperor was furious. Unsettled, I was quick to get out of the palace with the help of my friend.

The Empire must be interested in mages as well. Their power comes from dragons, and I have been hearing rumors that magic was resurfacing. At the Red Keep, they had constructed a guild for all the magic-users which was pretty cool.

I had nothing better to do, so I reentered the inn and pulled aside one of the escapees who had just finished a conversation with the bartender. "What happened back there?"

His fearful eyes met mine and started talking in his weird language. Thankfully the bartender could translate. "He attacked the Keep. We knew that it was coming, especially since it was the gateway to the Empire. Nothing is really left. We are just lucky that we got out with our lives."

I didn't want to press for answers. He then started to talk with someone else, so I headed upstairs. The Red Keep is destroyed?

I felt worry crawl into my mind for my friends. Maybe they escaped with their lives. I refused to think about the alternative. Sleep was hard to come by. This terror that had plagued the Badlands will continue to extend his control by implanting fear into all the towns that lay untouched by his growing spread of chaos. I can't let Him get to me too.

I was just eating some toast when he came in. Unlike everyone else here, it seemed, he was human. I did not recognize him. His cold gray eyes scanned the room and fell on me. His mouth curled into a smirk. He headed in my direction.

I glanced away from the creepy stranger who was intent on talking to me. I just wanted to let him know that I was in no mood to talk. I don't know how convincing I was, but he gestured outside. "If you know what's good for you, then you will come with me for a walk."

I opened my mouth to refuse, but then I noticed the blade glinting from the blinding light from the sun. I arose from the chair and followed him quietly out of the inn. "Bring your bag," he added harshly.

I hastily rushed into the room with and grabbed my things. I had a bad feeling about accompanying him, but what else could I do?

Once we were out of earshot from any snooping pagunum, the snarling man turned to me and spoke in a tone that meant business. "Alright, give me the Holy Grail."

"Huh? I don't know what you are talking about." I tried to play dumb. Unfortunately for me, I'm a bad actor.

"Yes you do. It is in your satchel right this moment. I know you have it. Give it to me." He extended his right hand. "Now."

I shook my head no. It was too important to me. I would not give it up so easily. He shook his head mockingly. "Hmm, I thought you would say that. Boys, come on out for some persuasion."

To my horror, two men twice the size as me stepped out from behind the jungle trees. They each wielded a sharp sword that could slice open my neck in seconds. I carried no weapon on me, so I had to appease his demands. Quite reluctantly, I extracted the goblet from my bag and passed the priceless treasure to him. "Here. Take it."

I was worried that he would kill me right then, but I was surprised. "Thank you. Have a good day. Boys, come along now." The three villains vanished into the thick vines and low branches of the jungle.

Once they were gone, I found myself boldly going after them. Branches cut at my face, but I kept going. They will have to sleep at one point, right? When I finally tracked them down, I was too late. They were already boarding the boat.

I tried to get into the water, but the surely close to below freezing water was unbearable. So I was helplessly running along the coast to follow the ship that was traveling down the river. Somehow my hand managed to grab the map that shows me the river. Maybe I can intercept it.

Okay. In my heart, I knew that I would not even get closed to ambushing the ship. Still, I did not want to go back to whatever's left of my team without first acquiring the grail back and pay Markus.

Suddenly, out of no where, a large streak of lightning struck the wooden boat of the thieves. The poor vessel stood no chance and sank quickly. I breathed a sigh of relief that I could get it back, but a new fear hit me. I could not go back down there myself, so I must wait until spring when it's warmer. Until then, I can't do anything about it.

The rain fell upon my shoulders as I silently walked away from the disturbed river. Waves crashed at my feet as I speed-walked along the coastline. Smoke was rising from the location of the fallen Keep. Weird. I merely shrugged and continued down my way.

I set up a camp in some old temple in the jungle. A weird feeling of dread enveloped me as I sat dangerously close to the flames from my campfire. The wood of a chest was rotted, and it was void of any treasure. Someone was here before me.

I snoozed far into the next day. It felt good to be fully rested and ready to go. The tree-branches slapped at my face. I guess that I am used to it since Elves live in trees. I felt an odd feeling as I neared the inn. Curiosity filled me, and I took a rest break. Maybe I'm just tired.

No wonder it took me a drastically long time to get to the cheap lodgings. Ignoring the guy who was walking in the opposite direction, I slipped inside the inn. The bartender was asleep in a cot. I slammed a couple sovereigns onto the counter and went upstairs. Hopefully I will get my stuff back. There is no stopping me now. Until then, I will just hide out here. Yeah. That sounds like a good plan.

Their noisy voices woke me up. "Will you guys ever shut up?" The paganum paid me no mind. Why can't they speak English like a normal person? Or any human language for that matter. I am seriously sewing my ears shut do to all the noise.

"Hee-am hrrem herm. Her-em hrm hem heorm hum. Herm-a-hum heum herm hee-erm hum hem he-urm." They will never stop talking, will they?

"OH MY GOSH! PLEASE BE QUIET!" They give me a weird look and continue their conversation. "GAH!" I smashed a pillow over my pointy ears. I hate paganum.

I managed to block out their gibberish until I caught the words _Redey Kelp. _They were some of the only words I knew in Paganum. It meant _Red Keep._ Maybe they knew what happened to my friends. "Hey um excuse me. Did anyone actually die in the attack?"

To my shock, one of them nodded coldly and spoke, "Dontion Umane." _A dozen humans._ My heart sank. That was the number of people on my team.

His companion added sympathetically as he noticed my discomfort. "Bute toon excahpeed." But two escaped. I wonder…

I have nothing to go back to, but hopefully the diamond was still safely hidden away for me to retrieve someday. Maybe someday…

**_Curse you writer's block! By the time this was finished, episode 6.5 came out. At least I did not have to change too much. When I come to think of it, I was really close to what actually happened. Now as for Grayson's story… Not so much, but more theories have arisen which I might write about but will have close to nothing about what I previously wrote. It involves who I think betrayed Grayson. After all, he did say it was a dear friend of his. If you think I should write it, please tell me. Other wise I will most likely not write it. Thanks for reading. Now on a happier note, episode 7 is supposed to come out next Tuesday from what I know. Expect an update shortly after. Thanks for sticking with me and my irregular updates. Love you all. _**

**_~Lya200~_**


	11. The Journey

_**Hi again. I literally came up with this on the spot after watching a marathon of The Haunting/Haunted movies. I stopped at Episode 4: Time just to write this. Even better, I spent a lot of writing time listening to LOTR music which gave me inspiration for some scenes. Again, it is third person for a reason. I hope you notice that I am playing the pronoun game with this. Don't worry, there is a method to my madness. I am curious to see how long it takes you to figure out... something.**_

Let's Go On an Adventure

* * *

><p>The Journey<p>

A lone traveller hiked through the Badlands cautiously. Death awaited him around every corner, and he knew it. He walked slowly and silently down the long and winding paths. He did not have much on him for his journey except for a small knife and a little food and water. The odds of survival were low, and the last thing he needed was for him to get caught off guard.

The being who once controlled this land was dead, or at least he should be, but the man knew better. He knew that the demon could not die so easily as some had hoped. Already he has heard of another who continued his path of destruction through another body, and he vowed that he would do anything to stop this madness no matter what could happen to him.

That was the basis for this expedition. The sleep-deprived explorer was slowly making his way to the abandoned capitol of Ironmyre. Before he had started his treacherous journey, he had met a young man who told of his adventures there, including the "defeat" of Him.

The stranger told of how he and two others went through a portal and ended up in the Badlands. Soon, one of the companions was equipped with an enchanted sword and strong armor. During the following battle, the friend ended up sacrificing himself to kill Him, and the stranger thought that all was well.

He knew that no one could actually destroy the demon who caused all this destruction without fulfilling the task at hand, not even with the legendary sword. but he did not say because he did not want to worry the saddened man. It was because of the stranger's tale that he was going on this risky mission in the first place. He did not want the stranger's friend's sacrifice to be in vain.

His boots tread lightly along the ancient path. Bits of gravel had disappeared over time due to age. Ashes have replaced the once lush grass and beautiful plains. The sole voyager was disgusted at all the wreckage that He had caused long ago. He blamed himself for all of this. He had the chance to stop this, but instead he did not. Now he understood his mistake. The chaos would continue if he did not stop him.

The man stopped in front of a severely damaged brick wall. Through the cracks he could see some old crops that were able to grow even without sunlight. He was getting closer to his destination.

His breath made white clouds in the cold winter air. He shivered once, then forced himself to continue. There was no time to waste if he wanted to end all this trouble.

A shadow fell over him, but the traveller was unfazed. He had grown used to it in his youth. Instead, he looked up mildly curious. Sure enough, it was night again. For how long, though, he could not say.

As a precaution, he unsheathed his knife. To be honest with himself, he did not know whether nightmares can be killed, but he was willing to take the chance if it meant that he was one step closer to defeating Him.

The chirping of crickets was gone. Nightmares were perhaps close by. His head whipped around. Sure enough, at least five were lined up behind his back. His steady walk sped up into a fast-paced run as he sprinted away from the shadows of the souls He stole.

He was accustomed to running. In his childhood, the man constantly ran nonstop for long periods of time. Of course, he only did it because he was forced to or else he would be caught by the creatures of darkness. He believed his record was 3 whole days with little rest. The man was forced to lie down once he returned home for so long to regain his strength. Not that anybody cared.

When he finally lost his attackers, he was a long distance away from where he was going. Thankfully it was the beginning of a short day, so he hurriedly walked towards the beat up capitol of Ironmyre.

It took all of the traveller's willpower not to gag at the stench. Blood that never dried away seemed to be everywhere. He disallowed himself to wretch out all the food in his stomach. He needed the strength.

The gate was unlocked as he had thought it would be. Good, because the dagger that served as a key to all of this was gone, perhaps destroyed with the brave friend of the stranger. He felt a momentary pain at the loss of his once faithful weapon, but in his heart he knew that he should not dwell on the past.

He was unsurprised that the once prosperous capitol lay deserted. It probably lay untouched after He was "destroyed." He snorted. That man will not die with just one hit with that sword, especially with the diamonds still out there. No, there was more to it than that.

He slapped himself at his slip-up. This was a serious matter. If he by some miracle managed to make it to the next day, the traveller can laugh all he wanted to. Hopefully by the time that the night is out, the heartless demonic ghost would finally be dead and Minecraftia would finally be free from his reign of terror.

The man did not need a map to find his way through the city. Soon he made it to the church. The palm of his hand brushed against the wall, and the podium retracted at his touch, revealing the hidden room underneath. He slowly moved down the steps to look at one of his favorite places in the world one last time.

The water from the heart-shaped fountain washed away the grime that covered his body like soot along with the troubles that had plagued him for so long. It was time.

He took a deep breath as he prepared for the final confrontation with that man he had once called a friend. "No, not a friend. A brother," he reminded himself bitterly.

There was no going back now. He held his breath as he went down the sewer to the lair of Him. He remembers when he first stumbled upon it. Now, though, that did not matter to him, or at least it should not matter.

It looked different from what he remembered. Parts of the platforms were gone from ages of destruction. He leapt from place to place to where his gut instinct told him the diamonds were hidden.

Soon, he located the diamonds. They were out in the open to boast of His power. Why He was so arrogant was always a question the traveller asked himself. He raised his pickaxe to get to the sacred gems and carefully grabbed all three. The man tiptoed to the ledge where he knew one young man had sacrificed himself for the safety of the world. Now he must throw them in. As he held his hand over the fiery depths, a young but demonic voice called out mockingly, "I should have known that you would come."

The traveller looked behind him where he saw Him step out of the shadows. He looked different than from what he remembered. His gut wrenched at the realization that He had taken over the poor hero's body.

His clothes were ripped and burned. Parts of his black hair were singed away. His left eye was already white, but he noted that while his cyan eye was fading fast, there was still hope for the young man perhaps. "I came here to stop you, Herobrine."

Herobrine chuckled. "Are you so sure that you can defeat me? Look at yourself. You were never able to actually take me down. Years and years ago, you had the chance to take me down. You stood over me with that cross, yet you never could actually strike the blow. You just cast me away. Now look. You are afraid, aren't you…"

"Don't talk about that!" the traveller snapped worriedly.

Herobrine crudely finished with a sneer. "… brother?"

"I'm not your brother, Herobrine. I will never be your brother again."

"Funny. I might have noticed that you are afraid at times, but I would have never guessed that you are a coward."

The man stepped back towards Him angrily. "I might have been a coward once, but no more. If anyone is a coward, it is you. This boy," he gestured towards His new body, "had a whole life ahead of him. He sacrificed himself instead to stop you and save his friends, but you in a cowardly act merged with the poor soul just to save yourself. And you have the nerve to call me a coward."

In a fit of rage, Herobrine pulled out a diamond sword. Light from the lava reflected off the blade. "Some things must be done. He tried to kill me."

"As you did to him and his friends countless of times."

"I did what I had to do! It was unwise of him to try and kill me."

"It was what any decent man should have done!" The man held his knife in front of him.

"So you are calling yourself indecent, then?"

The cold jeer made the explorer freeze. "I regret not killing you when I had the chance. As I once was your brother, my feelings for you got in the way."

Herobrine laughed heartily. "This boy was my brother too at one point." The voice was slightly more humane. The wearied traveller then remembered that Herobrine did take over another one's body at one point. He believed the name was Collin. "Yet he did not hesitate to try and take me down."

"He is a far better man than I ever will be Herobrine. He had the bravery that I lacked."

"Well then. Strike me down. If you are so brave, you would do it."

At the words, the traveller debated for a moment. He did not want to harm the young man who was now a mere puppet to His bidding. When he saw the hesitancy, Herobrine chortled loudly. "Once a coward, always a coward. Your compassion will be your undoing!" He jumped forward with his sword and stabbed.

The traveller blocked his attack with his knife. While a short blade, he was very skilled with it, so the two men were evenly matched.

While they battled, the man held onto his grip of the diamonds. He realized with a jolt that He was purposely keeping him away from the pit. A young voice spoke into his mind, "My sacrifice was not for nothing, and yours shouldn't be either. It is your choice of how you handle this."

It went quiet, and he knew what he had to do. Instead of parrying, he chose to be brave. Using his powers, he sent the diamonds flying far away to be hidden from Him.

Herobrine took advantage of this last act of bravery and brutally stabbed him. "Foolish mortal. Now you will pay the price."

He wheezed out in great pain, "I might not have cast the final blow, but I have helped stop you just the same."

"Tsk tsk tsk. Will you ever learn? I am the one and only Herobrine. No one can stop me! Not even you…" He made another stab at the wounded man. "… brother!"

The poor man, mortally wounded, collapsed to the ground. "I will win. Our sacrifices won't be in vain." He grew quiet as he took his final breath. "Someday, you will be stopped, and this world will be free from your wrath." His world went black.

Pleased with his victory, Herobrine kicked Notch's body into the lava and watched it burn. He felt no sadness at the death of His brother. In fact, He noted cruelly, He felt pleasure at the death of His older brother. No one was left to stop Him but for two men. No matter, He will take care of them eventually. Who knows? Maybe something out of His control will take them down. Only time will tell.

Miles away, one of the diamonds hid itself away in a long-since abandoned temple for the Goddess. A young man, half human and half enderman, noticed a sudden change in feeling. He sensed the magic, and something told him that he needed to look into this. Of course, for the time being, he had another job. He was going to save his corrupted friend no matter the cost.

The second one was more of a mystery. There were eyewitness accounts that say that people saw what appeared to be a shooting star burrowing itself deep into the ground outside of a large city. It attracted the attention of many, but what it was is uncertain.

No one really knows of the third one. Some say that it went to a long lost library of magic. Others say it hid away in a temple. There were a few that claim that it might be deep underground in its birthplace: an underground cave far below a long abandoned house that was hundreds of years old. Maybe it hid away in a common temple or mountain. Perhaps it hid itself away in the heart of the Empire itself. Its actual location is currently debated and unknown.

Whatever the case, the three Sacred Diamonds were all hidden away waiting to be discovered and destroyed. That is what Notch would have wanted, isn't it?

* * *

><p><em><strong>Originally I was going to post it tomorrow, but I was to excited to post, so I have an early update. To be honest, this is one of my favorite one-shots that I wrote so far besides<strong>_** The Fight For Control _and _My Fractured Soul. _Hopefully you loved this. _****So**_** how long did it take you to figure out that the traveller was Notch? I tried to keep it not obvious. I probably failed at writing the battle scene, but I don't care. Hopefully it didn't bother you too much. Did I do awesome? Do you have any ideas about what I should do next? Did you like the chapter period? Please review to tell me :)**_

_**Oh, I am going to start this way of replying to guest reviews. So much easier than just reviewing my own chapter. **_

_**Pink- I'm so glad you liked it**_

_**~Lya200~**_


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